The Space Between
by Starscream's Mishap
Summary: Sequel to Starscream's Mishap. Mishap, now called Lyra, has been called back to earth to face the entire Autobot army. Although she can count on one hand those happy to see her, there was one mech she never anticipated seeing again...
1. Where you'll find me if I get to go

"I'm missing your bed, I never sleep. Avoiding the spots that we have to speak and this bottle of beast is taking me home."

Dashboard Confessional

"I am still living with your ghost. Lonely and dreaming...I don't want to be your downtime. I don't want to be your stupid game."

Everclear

"Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been...imagine me trying too hard to put you from my mind...there will never be a day when I won't think of you."

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Elita-1 sat upright from her slightly slumped position at the computer, gasping in an attempt to cool her fevered body. She tried to respond to the request over the intercom in a calm voice.

"Affirmative. You are clear to enter." The vision, still burning in her data processor, did not disappear as quickly as it had emerged. She attempted to concentrate on the arrival of her newest covert spy and her teammates.

Chromia, Moonracer, Lyra, and Nova descended down the red ray bridge that connected the base to its ground-level entrance on Cybertron. Elita-1 gracefully rose to greet them. Lyra smiled back at her pink leader, amethyst eyes glittering in triumph.

"What did you discover?" Elita-1 asked. She had to prompt this one. She was so _formal_. Whoever had mentored her last trained her well. It took a month to break her from the habit of kneeling, and she still occasionally slipped, like right now.

"My leader, I have the plans for the army of triple-changers they were planning to assemble. I regret that I could not break the code." The other three resentfully stared. Was she doing this for attention? Elita-1 seemed to neither condone nor challenge her behavior, merely nodding as she accepted the disk and placed it in the computer. She asked where they got it, looking at Chromia for the report. As Chromia told the details of their energon theft that was a distraction while Lyra ransacked the computer files, Lyra realized her faux pas and slowly stood up, looking painfully uncomfortable. When Elita-1 dismissed the others she lingered.

"Yes, my dear?"

Lyra winced. She hated being called that. "I apologize for my behavior," she said. "It is not an attempt to endear me into a sycophantic level."

Elita-1 nodded. "This is inconsequential. I'm assuming you had a mentor who had a penchant for formality?"

"Yes ma'am." Every Decepticon in their strict hierarchy demanded it. A wrong gesture or lack of deference got her shot.

Elita-1 nodded, trying to get the image of this Autobot female firing a blaster at Optimus out of her CPU, where it accosted her on such frequency she could almost time it. That had never happened, and Autobots were not psychic in any way, but it made this small faction's leader look twice at everything this femme did. She dismissed Lyra to the communal recreation room for her share of the newly-acquired energon.

Elita-1 watched her go, regarding her cautiously. Autobot symbol slightly askew, eyes sometimes light years away, vague past all who were concerned with refused to discuss...Lyra was the strangest addition to their forces. They encountered her sitting in the middle of an unused Decepticon road, singing, a vast quantity of energon in neat stacks behind her. All assumed this was a trap, until a later revelation told them who Lyra (because she sang) was: Oasis, former Autobot spy. She had changed a lot, Mirage's older sister. No one had really recognized her, except for Moonracer, who was not certain enough to stake their safety. To make sure she was an Autobot, they held her captive until they could contact Optimus Prime using the radio frequency she provided. Optimus Prime endorsed her, as did several on earth knew who she was (but revealed little), asking Elita-1 to welcome her into their ranks.

Welcome her they did, especially after some of her talents were revealed. She was fantastic. Lyra knew the Decepticon headquarters inside and out. She was very sketchy on the actual mechs working there, but no matter, what Lyra _did_ know made up for it. Her personality was what triggered Elita's hallucination. Some of her facial and verbal expressions were familiar, in an unpleasant way. No one could place it. She was such a random accumulation of her younger self, ruthless warrior, and another person altogether, that Elita-1's perspective on her changed daily. This was when the visions began. As the computer broke the code and revealed that there was another device to be built on earth (not the Triple-changer plans as they were so clearly labeled) Elita-1 decided it was time to radio Optimus. Another vision struck her motionless: Lyra's decaying corpse strangling her was shaken off. These visions were beginning to annoy her. If uncovering the mystery ended the torment, then this femme's past must be revealed.

The strangest thing to Elita-1 was the affect a vague aura that followed this particular female had on other female Autobots. Chromia had been the first to define it, stating there was something unpleasant about her. "The others have sensed it, too," Chromia informed her. "They don't like her." Elita-1 didn't either, come to think of it. Being a leader, she must rise above personal prejudices, even though when Lyra secretly smirked over something trivial it took all of Elita's sense of override to keep from shooting the cocky blue female.

Lyra did not go directly to the common room. She took one of the many valve-like exits (propping it open) to sneak outside to look at the stars. Turning invisible, she sat on a pile of debris that had once been a building. Right ascension...declaration...there! Earth's sun shone faintly a million light-years away. She thought about the planet there. The inhabitants. Her brother, Mirage. Starscream. She sighed. He had repaired her for no good reason, giving her part of his life force, dealing with the devil to keep her alive, so that she would free herself from the bonds the Decepticons forged for her. He was mean, irritating, self-centered, fierce. His wings took up too much of the recharge plate. She missed him terribly.

After a few moments a visible Lyra slunk back into the propped valve door to the common room. Moonracer watched her politely accept her share of energon and sit in her designated spot, lost in thought. Nudging Nova, she and the green and yellow femme approached her with those fake smiles Lyra had detested in an earlier life. They asked how her brother was, the only subject that animated her. Since she had provided the radio frequency, her brother often sent personal messages to her while the rest of them were not allowed to contact their friends.

"He's good," she smiled wistfully. "He told me they thwarted Megatron's plan for human enslavement when he tried to take over all of the television stations."

"That's great!" they chorused. Lyra's smile was replaced with a sardonic grimace. These two never failed to aggravate her.

"He also thinks we're close to reconnecting to Ultra Magnus' group here on Cybertron." This was not as well received. Nova was in charge of finding the various Autobot factions hiding on Cybertron. Optimus Prime doing it first made her look bad. Before Moonracer could stop her, Nova asked how Powerglide was. Powerglide had been a mutual friend to all of them, to Moonracer especially.

Lyra smiled longingly again, an annoying habit. "The usual. Still adjusting to the Aerialbots." Knowing Powerglide, and now being one of the few flying Autobots was his favorite distinction, it had to sting to have Optimus bring in someone-five or six someone's- who were better fliers than he. Moonracer, moved down to second-in command of reconnaissance thanks to Lyra, ought to know. Nova remembered her humiliation in the hands of Mirage a long time ago, blaming Oasis/Lyra for that.

"Do you hear from Powerglide a lot?" Moonracer asked in a sweet voice she used to conceal (poorly) her envy. None of them had a radio frequency to the Autobots until she arrived.

"He sends messages through Mirage occasionally."

None for her? "Oh." Moonracer _really_ hated her. She had no more time to find out what messages he sent because Elita-1 called them to assemble in the control room.

"I have been informed that our provided radio frequency has been intercepted by the Decepticons," she began. Her congregation collectively gasped. Lyra was indignant. How did they do that? How would she talk to Mirage? "Therefore, I will assemble a team to go to earth and present not only the data and code book to Optimus Prime, but prepare for further covert operations." The hands were up before Elita-1 finished. The pink Autobot barely contained her wry smile. A few came down when she informed them she had already selected her team. Lyra kept her hand down until after Elita-1 named the team. The others had questions: What would they be doing while the others left, how would they get there, how long the team's absence, etc. She was ignored until the disappointed/jubilant females dissolved.

"Yes, Lyra?"

"Ma'am, I noticed the omission of your name on the team."

"I am needed here."

"I have reason to believe, if you'll forgive me for saying so, that I am needed here as well; and that you being the one who cracked the code your knowledge is required on earth."

"I appreciate the thought." She did, startled at how quickly Lyra guessed her burning desire to see Optimus Prime again. "It is unnecessary. Why offer it?"

"Ma'am, I have been to earth recently. I have no-_need_ to revisit. That was my logic in suggesting this."

"Hmm." Her spark was ruling her now. "Perhaps you are right; only I should exchange with Moonracer, not you."

"Elita-1," Lyra began, panicking. "If Moonracer is willing, then I would like her to take _my_ place."

"Negative. I need your knowledge of Decepticon bases. She is extraneous."

"Ma'am, if I may: she does not share this view. This may cause tension." Moonracer hated her enough without legitimate fodder!

"Lyra, may I remind you that this is a spy mission, not a joyride. Moonracer! Come in here!" Moonracer entered.

'This,' Lyra thought with dread, 'Is not good.'

* * *

Moonracer angrily followed Lyra out of the main control room. In spite of Elita-1's explanations, Moonracer accused the newest member of-of-

"I _tried_ to give you my place. She wouldn't hear of it!" Lyra was not going to take this sitting down.

"You're not going?" Nova exclaimed, slightly relieved. Now she had a friend to keep her company here!

"_She's_ the reason!" Moonracer pointed a blaming finger at the blue femme.

"Enough!" Elita-1 on a hunch had followed the two out, hearing everything. The scene was dangerous as Lyra was surrounded by her sister Autobots. Elita-1 joined her, facing the attackers. "Many of you seem to think that this trip is an excuse to see old friends. It is not!"

"It _is_!" yelled Moonracer defiantly. "And the one Autobot least deserving of the mission is the one you're defending!" Moonracer and Nova started circling Lyra and Elita like a pair of angry sharks. "Who _is_ she? What makes her so special? Don't you think it weird that the Decepticons already found our radio frequency? How do we know she hasn't duped Optimus and you?"

Lyra protested hotly. "I'm Lyra! I was Oasis…you've known me for years. I am an Autobot, like you. Why is that so difficult to process?"

"Why aren't you Oasis _now_?" Nova shot back for her friend. Even Elita-1 seemed curious about that question. Lyra was annoyed at being in the crosshairs of their distrust.

"Because I'm _not_. That's why. Optimus asked me to join the Autobot team here on Cybertron, and although I had my misgivings, some of which have _yet_ to be assuaged-" she glared at her rivals. "-I am here. I'm sorry you have a tendency to trip alarms, and that you, Nova, can't make a single decision without instant gratification. If I weren't being forced to, I would be glad to let you go in my stead. I _hate_ earth. Elita-1, if I may."

"May what?" She was constantly amazed at the strict protocol this female followed, even during a fight.

"If I may address you frankly."

"Yes, of course."

"This trip is a bad idea. We have not yet departed and already there is animosity in your team. I have no desire to go to earth. _Some_ have no desire to remain at Cybertron. Would it be difficult to invite Optimus Prime and the others here?"

"Difficult, yes, but not impossible." She pondered this. "However, I don't see the practicality of your suggestion. I am remaining stalwart. The original names of the team will be kept, only I re-instate Moonracer. I will stay here."

"Elita, no!" gasped Moonracer.

"There will be no alterations." She glared at all of her team. "Any one with objections regarding Lyra is hereby warned. WE ARE A TEAM and this kind of petty backstabbing is behavior I would expect from male Decepticons, not US." Lyra hid a bitter grimace at that statement.

Funneling the earth team to the main room for strategizing, the Autobot leader was glad there was no time for Moonracer to further her enmity towards Lyra. Optimus had requested, as a special favor, for Elita to keep this fragile Autobot secure, a promise she regretted making. Should there be more trouble, she'd have to reassign her to Ultra Magnus' team, whenever they were found.

* * *

Starscream was downloading a CD on Stunticon repair in his private chamber when his optics noticed something missing: Mishap's Decepticon symbol had fallen off the table onto the floor. He was surprised to see the thinnest coating of dust on it, making him wonder how long had it been there? He placed it back where it used to be, the purple winking at him in the light as a reminder of the way her eyes blazed when they argued. Always an invisible watcher, she had been dredged up from the Cybertonium pits to spy on him until he aided her escape. He wondered if Megatron had replaced her. So far, no clues indicated thus. No invisible presence, no slight footfalls at night, no Seeker-style energy conservation in the form of huddling for warmth. No disembodied voice taunting him while reaching out to hold his hand to let him know where she was. Starscream was alone.

He was lying on his recharge plate, pretending he could feel her light body pressed against him again, when Megatron called for an alert. The space bridge was being used by unauthorized personnel! Backup requested. The Seekers, Megatron, and Blitzwing raced out of the underwater base to fly to the rescue.

They arrived in time to see Dirge and Thrust tied together with energon ropes (a Cybertronian binding), the area scorched with laser fire. The two were on the ground, almost unscathed, tugging desperately to get out of their hold.

"Female Autobots! At least a score of them! It was an ambush!" Dirge barely bleated this out before the laughter and taunting began.

"You were beaten by _femmes_?"

"Incompetent fools!"

"Where's Reflector when you need him? I want this image on my chamber wall!"

"What did they look like?" Megatron's brusque inquiry caused confusion. He motioned for Thundercracker and Skywarp to untie them.

"What do you mean?"

"What colors?" he demanded, growing annoyed.

"Oh! All sorts. Pink, light blue, a nice silver, some kind of green-"

"Seafoam," corrected Thrust. "And red!"

"Was one of them royal blue? Purple eyes?"

Now everyone but two of the Decepticons were confused. "Well, sir, it was hard to tell-"

"We didn't see that one, no."

Starscream's CPU was racing too fast for him to process clearly. "She was a jet that could disappear. She probably tied you up." Both shrugged.

"Starscream! Stay out of this!" Megatron barked. He interrogated them regarding their direction and fighting styles.

The jet scowled, silently frustrated. She had to be with them! His fists curled as the two morons stumbled over themselves. They had obviously no idea what Megatron was getting at. Starscream did, and it thrilled him. He had never expected this chance to come, and it looked as though, if he planned this right, the nagging emptiness inside of him would be filled.


	2. The laughter keeps us coming back

"This is how we do it, it's Friday night and I feel all right, the party's here on the West side...If you are from where I'm from than you would know, that I gotta get mine in a big black truck, you can get yours in a '64. Whatever it is, the party's underway. So tip up your cup, and throw your hands up, and let me hear the party say..."

Montell Jordan

"Once again, I find myself with my friends, dancing the night away it's like the party never ends. Then again, we don't want it to stop...Oh my, starry-eyed surprise sundown to sunrise, dance all night. We're gonna dance all night, dance all night to this DJ...C'mon the fun has just begun."

Paul Oakenfield

Like a wonderful family reunion, male and female Autobots hugged and laughed and cried to see each other. Optimus hugged his old girlfriend for ten minutes, refusing to let her go. Lyra was glad that their leader decided to accompany them, once _Chromia_ pointed out the uselessness of their trip without the one who cracked the Decepticon code. In a rare moment of generosity Elita-1 brought them all. This was a huge strain on Lyra, being the one who had to keep the space bridge guardian Shockwave busy while yelling instructions on how to use the controls to an agitated Chromia. She was also saddled with the task of confusing Dirge and Thrust and tying them up. Looking around, she saw it was worth it. Powerglide swooped down and spun Moonracer in the air. Moonracer squealed and hugged him in glider mode, grinning. She brought Nova to his attention after a moment, and he did the same action with her. Nova was not as pleased to see him. Lyra was fascinated.

The ex-Seeker was out of luck: her brother was on patrol, coming in later that evening. It was a joy to see the familiar Autobots she'd been unable to meet and talk to during her last stay on earth, though. Jazz told her she was cute. The vainglorious Sunstreaker vocally agreed, lecherously proclaiming he was sorry he was dating another. Lyra saw that there had been quite a bit of partner swapping, but a few remained constant, one of them being the beautiful silver Mercuria and Mirage. To her relief, she discovered through Optimus (who finally allowed Elita to escape) that those who knew kept silent and others knew as little about her as the femmes.

They had finished debriefing the schematics and were planning a raid when the last of the patrol radioed home. The sun set gloriously in front of them, casting long shadows over the ark, when a dust cloud appeared encroaching the entryway. Hound, Bumblebee, a large jet, and two cars pulled up from different directions at the same time. One of the unidentified cars presented himself as Wheeljack. Mirage transformed and ran to her, arms open. They hugged forever, babbling all at once as they tried to catch up on a few million dormant and two frustrating years apart. He was glad she was free. She told him she'd missed him.

She wanted to tell him more but Mercuria and other femmes were clawing at the handsome mech for attention. Bumblebee hugged her next, excitedly telling her how much she'd changed.

"You have wings!" He reached up and grabbed the left one, shaking it. Upon her capture Lyra (Oasis) had been turned into a jet (Mishap), with wings hidden. Starscream had pulled them out of subspace the last time he repaired her, claiming it was ridiculous to be a jet and pocket them. They made her feel conspicuous here, more of a minority. The next Autobot she talked to, Hound, barely knew her, being one of the new Autobots in Mirage's circle of friends. He introduced her to a huge white robot with large wings and red accents.

"Skyfire, this is Lyra."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, unaware of the name's significance, having repressed as many memories of late night talks with Starscream as possible. Skyfire was stymied. There was something so reassuring about her, as though he were being reunited with a long-lost friend. He could not stop staring. She had no idea, turning to see her relative again as he was affectionately greeting the seafoam female she detested.

Perceptor blocked her view by jumping in front of her to shake her hand. He was eager to meet her. "I heard you were the one who learned the space bridge configurations so quickly." He complimented.

"Yes, their code required a multi-level matrix and algorithm mix, coupled with a fabricated astral coordination system." Lyra tried to see past the large red mech to catch Mirage's eye and failed. He was laughing and joking with as many femmes as possible.

"Remarkable!" Perceptor's optics brightened considerably. An Autobot who could talk shop was a rare commodity. "I have a lab here. Perhaps you would be interested in a tour of it?"

Lyra surrendered to the idea of catching her brother later, affably accepting the invitation. Skyfire offered to tag along, being an active participant in Perceptor's lab himself. As the scientist lead the way, Skyfire tried to converse with the lovely blue jet.

"Do you like earth?" Skyfire's voice stirred something in her, made her circuits tingle. It really was a soft, sweet voice. It reminded her of the dark, quiet moments she had alone when she looked at the stars on Cybertron. Something else-

She focused on his inquiry. He obviously thought she had never seen it before. She tried to be positive. "Amazing life forms."

"Nothing like Cybertron." His tone conveyed a deeper meeting. She tried to smile and not be flustered at his peaceful expression. Thinking fast, Lyra asked Perceptor what projects he had going right now. He was delighted to catalogue his various works, occasionally updated or corrected by his large white associate.

"Here it is!" Perceptor threw the door open and waved his arm with a flourish. Lyra was impressed. Starscream's lab was a smaller, more intimate room, but with more clutter and fewer Autobots. As both of her tour guides showed her every impressive object, the laboratory was inundated with a builder looking for spare parts, one of the maintenance 'bots for oil, or one of the medics needing a machine for last-minute repairs.

It was Ratchet, looking for a new set of soldering irons. Lyra went to re-introduce herself. As they caught up Skyfire noticed Hound in the doorway, motioning to him to come over.

"Well?" he whispered, smiling. Skyfire tailing someone else! This had to be investigated.

"She doesn't say much." Skyfire was intrigued. Lyra was bright. The talkative Perceptor seemed to be more her type, more her size, too; but she had no deeper interest in him. Something pulled him to her. It was a familiar feeling. "I suppose she's a thinker."

"Buddy, I've been hearing all sorts of weird things from the femmes about her. From what they say, she's not a relationship-builder." He noticed her animatedly talking to Ratchet and changed his mind. "On the other hand, anyone who can get that cranky medic to smile can't be too bad."

"Ahem-excuse me." Optimus Prime stood behind them, trying to pass. As he entered, he was cheerfully greeted. "Perceptor, I see you have met our new guests." The microscope nodded. "Spike suggested we give them a Welcome Wagon."

"What's that?" asked Ratchet.

"A party!" A young human ran up behind Optimus Prime and leapt in the air, fist pumping ecstatically. Disgusted, Lyra backed away from the species Starscream called 'germs'. Only Optimus caught that. "Spike, have you met Lyra?" The human walked up to her and held his hand out. Lyra, with an explanation, shook it, trying to get over her prejudice. It was so _small_.

"Hello, Spike." She smiled. The human was warm, soft. Not at all the way she pictured one of them. He even looked nice. What had she been afraid of?

Optimus turned to Perceptor. "Do you think you'll have enough energon produced in time?"

"If I have a few extra assistants, I project I will." Many volunteered and the rest of the party plans came into order in a matter of minutes. Lyra helped Perceptor harness energon from the volcano-powered recharge plates (although looking at them reminded Lyra of another larger, finer, officer's plate. She should not be thinking this. Perceptor, although friendly, merely annoyed her with his grandiose ringmastering. She longed for the relative silence of Starscream's lab and chamber, hating the noise and bustle that was like the Cybertonium pit with the volume set too high. Skyfire caught her attention more than once with his quiet gentility. He seemed too noble to be here, especially to move energon cubes from place to place. He reminded her of someone else who seemed too good for his post. His optics met hers and she smiled at him. Confused, he looked away. Lyra was embarrassed; perhaps she had offended him). The others moved the cubes to the 'bonfire' site, and Blaster and Spike grabbed wires wherever they found them for another project. When they were finished Perceptor asked Bumblebee to escort Lyra to the site, for he had other tasks at hand. He would join them later.

"That means he'll never show," explained the bright yellow mech, unconcerned with the task of baby-sitting Perceptor gave him. "C'mon, I hear Snoop Dogg playing."

* * *

The hook of "Gin and Juice" was playing when Mirage and Mercuria, accompanied by a slew of Autobots, arrived at the bonfire that night. They looked around and sat farthest away from the area Lyra was sitting. She tried not to appear hurt by this. Hard to do when Nova and Moonracer were in the thick of all of it.

Spike, the human that hung around the Autobots, was with another human, this one having wheels. They were typing on a laptop computer hooked to Blaster. "We're taking requests!" Spike announced.

"BTO!" hollered Bumblebee.

"**You ain't seen nothin' yet..."** Blaster's radio emanated. Lyra was thrilled. She had forgotten how much some Autobots love music and socializing. (Most, probably all, now that the war gave them each a private hell, drank spiked energon alone and never smiled.) Mirage's large clique contained the Lamborghini brothers, Bluestreak, Trailbreaker, Hound, and most of the females. Chromia was with Ironhide in the higher-ranking officials such as Prowl and Jazz. The smaller robots clumped together. There were those who mingled, and those who were loners. Lyra noticed that both leaders were missing.

"**I couldn't dance for another..."** There appeared to be a preference for American pop music within the last fifty years, thanks to the earthlings. The next song, at Jazz's esoteric request, was Marvelous Three's "Sugarbuzz." Everyone who knew it yelled the lyrics as loud as they could, the rest catching on to it easily. The majority could carry a tune, unlike their tone-deaf foes. The few Decepticons who truly enjoyed earth music (Soundwave and his tapes) seemed to like everything, but one song was Rumble's favorite, and when there was a window Lyra asked Chip to play Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" He smiled at her, but Blaster regarded her suspiciously.

"How does a Cyber-chick like you know hip-hop?" he demanded as Ashanti sang the chorus.

She just smiled and turned away as some sat, others bopped. When it was done, some of the strangest Autobots she had ever seen began to chant as one. "Me want Barney! Me want Barney!"

Blaster, exasperated, yelled back, "I am NOT playing Barney!"

"Red Green! Red Green!"

"Fine. At least it's not Barney. Chip?" The one with wheels was bent over the laptop, laughing.

Skyfire, back from his shift as guardian of the energon, had finished making his rounds and saw the blue femme sitting by herself at the fire, hands on her knees and expression pensive. He cornered Hound, dragged him over to her, and both of them sat down.

"**Well there are many things you should never do, like don't eat stuff that came off of your shoe. Don't take a nap in the middle of the road, and don't ever lick a toad..."** The large Autobots who demanded the song gleefully sang along, to Lyra's amusement.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"They're the Dinobots," explained Hound. Why did HE have to talk to her? He elbowed Skyfire. As the large Autobot told her a brief history of them, Optimus and Elita-1 came out of the ark and made an appearance.

"How is everything?" Prime asked. He was met with cheers.

"Optimus, we're taking song requests," Spike called. "Do you have any?"

Prime deferred to Elita, who shook her head. "How about Kansas?"

"Carry On Wayward Son?" Chip asked, knowing the significance of the song to Optimus.

"Affirmative." They did not sit down, staying where they were, declining the offers for the best spots. **"Carry on, my wayward son. For there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest. Now don't you cry no more..."** The hard guitar riffs and 1970's style pageantry belied the message the Autobots seemed to all take to spark: they were lost and confused, fighting their fates wearily with no type of reinforcement save the voices in the Matrix of leadership. **"Carry on, you will always remember. Carry on, nothing equals the splendor. Now your life's no longer empty: surely heaven waits for you..."** This piece had a lot of self-doubt in it, revealing a deeper side of Optimus that Lyra preferred not to know. Blaster broke her reverie with "The Devil went Down to Georgia," motivating them to clap along. Lyra noticed Skyfire and Hound were talking to each other and saw her chance. She escaped before they noticed. As she left the area she heard strains of "Bohemian Rhapsody" beginning. Laserbeak's favorite.

She caught up with Prowl on his way to the first shift of night lookout. "Not interested in the campfire?" Prowl asked, voice light but face serious. She shook her head to refrain from explaining to him that she did not travel all these light years to do what the Decepticons did on a regular basis.

"**When I fee-eel the times a ways to go-oh..."** The mechs were singing along with Blaster as loud as they could. Prowl smiled at the sound. "They're a great group of guys."

"Yeah." Lyra sat with him and made more small talk until his shift was over. He invited her to rejoin the group, and she refused. **"Have you ever seen a thug in the club with a bottle turned up, head bobbin like-"** The party was going strong. Red Alert came over next and asked a million questions about Cybertron, and just how serious _were_ Inferno and Firestar? Nova shrugged.

Next in line were the joint team of Hoist and Grapple. They talked only to each other, requesting she scout a higher point. Nova complied, searching the sky for any type of movement. Still nothing.

She wondered what she would say if he came for her. Her first inclination would probably to transform and takeoff in his wake. Lyra knew everything would be smoother if she never saw him again, but the longing was intense. Stronger than on Cybertron. Hope is a terrible thing, never allowing progress in life. She rationalized that she didn't want to see him anyway. Besides, after today's space bridge attack Megatron would want to retaliate. The night seemed peaceful. It mocked her. The next watchman, Windcharger, explained that the Decepticons did not move as quickly as they used to, giving the Autobots more leisure time. When he left it was six in the morning and the party was winding down with Blaster playing syrupy love songs to anybody who made a couple. **"For you I'd bleed myself dry."** What dreck! Andromeda, the medic of the female group with a protective streak, approached with an over-energized Sideswipe and handed Lyra a small cube. The exquisite lavender femme hinted that she was working too hard. The party was over; she'd missed a lot of fun.

"I'm not trying to be antisocial," Lyra explained, sipping her cube.

"Well, to be honest, you _are_. Teletraan-1 will notify us of any Decepticon activity. Get some rest." She grabbed Sideswipe's arm and dragged him away. "That's an order!" Andromeda was ranked third in the hierarchy, and knew Lyra's rigid training would make her comply. Sighing, Lyra took her cube and passed oncoming sentry Skyfire.

"Hello," he reached out his arm in greeting. "Leaving already?"

She smiled at him. He was a little buzzed. "Obeying orders."

"Will you obey orders while you grace me with your presence?" That sounded good to her. The females constantly hassled her about her blind obedience, maybe now was the time to change. Nova nodded and sat down next to him on the rock. The sun would rise in a couple of hours, but the sky was lightening up already to a smoother blue. To her relief, Skyfire didn't say much as they sat there, merely looking at the stars as he sat next to her. Lyra liked it.

"Skyfire!" A smaller red robot rolled up and transformed. "Optimus said-oh, hi." The jet introduced Cliffjumper, whose regard changed from wary surprise to unmitigated contempt. He requested Skyfire a moment of privacy. Lyra said she needed to rest anyway and immediately turned invisible. Cliffjumper, to his dismay, did not know if she was around to hear what he'd heard about her from the femmes.

"Isn't this a lovely morning?" Skyfire leaned back on his arms, waiting for the onslaught.

Cliffjumper regarded him carefully. "Lovely? What kind of word is that? Lovely. Like the female?" He watched for Skyfire to take the bait. "Not a lot of friends, though." Skyfire ignored him. "She seems a little...solitary."

"So do I," Skyfire commented, coming down from his slight energizing. "Get to the point."

"Just thought that you should know, nobody likes her, she's a total jerk." Cliffjumper's first attempt at tact failed. "I was wrong about Mirage, though."

Skyfire glanced at the ark entrance. Something made him want to find her. She drew him to her. "If Optimus has faith in her, so do I."

"OK." Cliffjumper had said his peace. Skyfire was on his own. "What's that?" he asked, pointing into the clouds. A few bright lights twinkled in the distance.

"It couldn't be-" Teletraan's alarm blared an interruption.

"Decepticons!" yelled Cliffjumper, dashing towards the base.


	3. But will I hold you again?

"Buddy you're a young man, hard man shouting in the street gonna take on the world someday you got mud on yo' face, a big disgrace waving your banner all over the place."

Queen

"Peace, love and understanding, tell me, is there no place for them today? They say we must fight to keep our freedom, but Lord knows there's got to be a better way!"

Starr Edwin

Teletran-1 showed the images of every single Decepticon, led by Megatron, soaring in the air with intent to destroy on their faces. Lyra felt a panic attack encroaching as she scanned her former teammates. There he is. Optimus barked orders in a voice Chaos would have obeyed.

"Battle stations! Female Autobots, I need you to stay here with Red Alert and Inferno. Wheeljack, Hoist, Andromeda, Perceptor, Ratchet! Prepare for repair duty!" The Autobots scrambled to defend their home. Elita-1 demanded to accompany him. "Negative. He's after you and your company. Stay here! Radio Omega Supreme!" Prime ran out of the room, leaving his beloved with her fists balled in frustration. She turned to Nova at Teletraan's controls.

"What do you see?" she asked Nova

"They've split into two groups!" Nova was hysterical. "There's a faction heading for the entrance through the volcano, and the other-" she ran for her gun with Moonracer in pursuit. Chromia took over, telling Firestar to get a team ready. Andromeda was to alert the medics. Omega Supreme was on his way.

Elita-1 commandeered Teletraan, watching Blitzwing take a group to the other side of the cliff and Megatron fly into the top of the volcano. "The other group is planning to attack from behind. We need to protect the interior of the base. Hoist! Come in!" He was not answering, so the pink leader tried Optimus. He thought for a moment and called for her to assemble the Dinobots for the front entrance.

Lyra followed Firestar and a few others to the entrance to meet up with the medics. Wheeljack was releasing Grimlock and his friends while Ratchet asked who needed a blaster. All five Dinobots burst forward like water out of an exploded balloon. Confusion ruled until Firestar blew into her fingers a loud whistle. All activity ceased.

"Dinobots! You're needed up front! Medics, get back! Everyone else, take cover NOW!"

Everyone moved. Lyra gripped her gun as she ducked behind a column. Firestar was next to her, their backs touching as they peered around either side. Lyra considered becoming invisible until she realized that Nova and company might accuse her of retreating. The room, upon a cursory glance, was empty, the others hidden in various places. The few Lyra saw looked as petrified as she felt. Red Alert was already shaking, scowling to himself. The silence was deafening.

There was only one entrance to the base from the top of the volcano, and it emptied into the vestibule they crouched in. The Autobots locked the door, placing a heavy metal object to block it. Footsteps clicked once as the Decepticons landed behind the door. Lyra could see it rattle slightly. On the Autobot side, no one moved. Muted voices mumbled on the other side of it. The door shook even harder. Suddenly it blew open, pieces of the heavy metal object flying. Firestar began blasting. The dust barely cleared as Decepticons raced in and, seeing they were under fire, retaliated. Shouting and laser fire reigned. Pinned down with no place to hide and retreat not yet in the warriors' minds, the fighting continued. The villains either fell or drew back behind the door for cover-except for one.

Megatron was impervious to the firepower, blasts ricocheting off of him. He rapidly searched their faces until Lyra felt the horror of his gaze upon her. Involuntarily she disappeared as he reached for her. Shoving Firestar out of his encroaching grasp Lyra screamed for everyone to regroup. Firestar, not seeing Lyra, heard only an authoritative voice speak and automatically rounded people up, dashing behind the heavy metal object with a few others. Nova dragged Moonracer, wounded, to safety. All ducked low. Who's missing? Megatron stood nearby, still not finding what he's looking for.

"I know you're here!" he snarled. "Show yourself, traitor!"

Traitor? Who? There was no time to speculate. At Firestar's signal, the Autobots leapt up and opened fire on the Decepticons. Megatron had moved farther inside.

* * *

To lure him away from her teammates Lyra ran into another room and reappeared, motioning for Megatron to come and get her. He strode over to her quickly. When he was close enough she whipped her blaster out of subspace and opened fire.

* * *

"Stop!" There were no Decepticons left. Firestar picked up a low noise, like a scuffle. She broke into a run, others at her heels.

Framed by the larger doorway Megatron had Lyra by the throat, feet off the ground, yelling unintelligible things at her as he jarred her. She turned visible and invisible with each hard shake. Shots meant nothing to him, bouncing off him and hitting her. Her head was lolling like a rag doll's. Firestar was frustrated. Why wasn't he being hit?

A long, lone, potent blast forced Megatron's hand open. He released a petrified Lyra to the floor with deep dents in her fragile neck, gasping in shock. She curled into the fetal position as the intimidating robot turned to glare at his sworn enemy. Optimus Prime cocked his blaster in Megatron's face,

"Whatever parts of your metal that were not covered by that blast-proof chemical _will_ be discovered, if I have to tear you apart manually," Optimus growled as his enemy perused the area. "Your army is gone."

"As am I, Prime!" He dashed out, tripping over his last victim, getting up and flying away amidst the firepower. Optimus turned to his loyal crew.

"Is everyone all right?" He looked at the few wounded around him, spotting Lyra. "Lyra?"

She was still quivering on the floor. "He would have snapped my head off..." she gasped. "Thank you."

"Forget it." Optimus called Andromeda over to check her out. As she examined her for problems, a movement in the rubble caused distraction. Blasters readily aimed at him, an abandoned Decepticon arose to discover he was alone and imprisoned.

* * *

"Elita-1? Optimus Prime?" Andromeda hated to interrupt the private time Optimus had with Elita-1, but she couldn't wait any longer, she HAD to share this with one of them. She was unsure of whom to confer with. 

"Could it wait, Andromeda?" Optimus demanded impatiently through a closed door.

"It might-"

"Please?"

"-But it's very strange. It might be important." She heard the Autobot leaders sigh. A few moments later he opened the door, faceplate missing. Andromeda, to her chagrin, realized what she had interrupted. She led Optimus through the orange hallways to the sickbay, where Lyra lay, offline, chestplate open. Hoist was gawking at the patient. Hastily dashing away guiltily, Hoist noticed Prime's appearance and was glad no one could see _his_ smile. Embarrassed, Andromeda got down to business.

"I was giving her an overhaul." She started pointing to things Optimus had never seen before. "And I am very confused with her layout. This is different from your average upgrade. I noticed that some of her Autobot makeup has been tampered with Decepticon parts. I didn't think much of it, since I know that when we run out of spare pieces the female Autobots pick them off of Decepticon junk heaps..." Andromeda held back a shudder. "...until I saw THESE. These parts of hers are an alloy not seen on Cybertron. They're hand-constructed, completely different from ANY mechanical layout."

"They don't make 'em like they used to," Ratchet flippantly, finishing his job of sorting tools.

Andromeda glared. "They didn't EVER make them like this!" she snapped. "She's an amalgam of Autobot, Decepticon, and Primus-knows-what!"

"Skyfire," Hoist supplied from his datapad. No one heard. Andromeda addressed Optimus. "I thought I should ask one of you for input."

Prime had no idea what to think, and thanks to his missing faceplate, it showed. After an uncomfortable silence Optimus told Andromeda to finish however she could, allow the others to observe, and when the patient came back online, he would like to confer with Lyra himself. He sternly warned all there to remain silent on this situation until he had a rational explanation. They uneasily nodded in acquiescence, knowing full well that even if they were as silent as deep space that word would spread quickly.

* * *

Skyfire leaned over as Hoist pointed out Lyra's inconsistencies. "You are right, Hoist. Those ARE my parts. Where did she get them?" Her life force was a different color, too. Skyfire guessed that was unimportant. He, a neutral scientist, had not studied these things as thoroughly as Hoist. Both shrugged. 

"Thanks for the confirmation." Hoist wrote it on her charts, hoping Andromeda would figure it out sooner or later. It didn't seem to matter to anybody BUT Andromeda where the newest parts came from. Most speculation was uneasy wonder over her Decepticon makeup. Why wouldn't she tell anybody about her past by merely clearing her name with an explanation, instead of scaring every one with her silence? Hoist had thought to ask Mirage, who denied knowledge. Powerglide, Trailbreaker, Ironhide, Gears, Jazz, Brawn, Hound, Red Alert, and anyone else who might have answered their questions had been sent to South America to aid some earthquake victims, leaving any Autobot with a rank below Ratchet to gossip.

Lyra awoke to see Wheeljack's face looming over her, causing her to jump. She answered his inquiry over how the repairs went with a 'pretty good.' There wasn't much internally to repair.

"Optimus Prime would like to speak to you."

"Now?" She hadn't the chance to see Mirage since she arrived. He had to be waiting for her. She crawled off the table.

"Yes, now." Wheeljack was contacting Prime over Teletraan. "Go to conference room 6-B."

The room was small and out of the way from everyone else. Optimus rose to greet her, and some weird wave of contempt rolled over her. Where did that come from? She ignored it and unconsciously gave the Decepticon salute. Embarrassed, she tried to sit down before he could comment. He stared.

"You were with the Decepticons for a long time," he began. "Some things must have been different." She nodded, waiting. "There are many issues left unsolved, such as your refusal to address your past to your cohorts." He waited for an answer. She provided none. "Another is the cornucopia of parts you hold inside of you. How are these going to influence the way you behave?"

Silence. "How could mere metal parts and circuits do that?" she finally asked.

"No one knows," he replied. "Somehow foreign objects have a persuading power we can't pinpoint. This happens with Bombshell's cerebroshells, for example. Ratchet's archives have catalogued this phenomenon, if you feel like reading medical journals. Those who knew you before your capture have already noticed a difference; one we have concluded arises from your different composition."

"We? Including you?" He nodded. "I find this to be irrational and unfounded. No part of me has changed. As for newer parts...before I came back as an Autobot, there was an…accident. A kind-hearted individual repaired me the only way he knew how, with earth-materials."

He wanted to ask who, but had a conversational momentum going. "The Decepticons, as well as this benevolent mech, may be influencing you in ways we don't yet know about. If you have no stable functioning process, I cannot use you in the spy missions, no matter what your knowledge." He rose from his chair, signaling the end of the meeting. "I recall what you told me the day I asked you to return to the Autobots: how no one would trust you, and that no matter where you went, you would be an outcast. On that warning alone I have complied with your request, and not talked about your prior life, in spite of my misgivings." Perhaps someday she would tell them herself. "Until then, I have to keep you from any spy missions until Wheeljack gives you a clean bill of processing." This would not happen unless she cooperated with a CPU scan. The idea was too humiliating.

"Am I completely useless?" she asked.

"Not completely." His voice suggested lightness. Lyra hoped so. "We have a Decepticon prisoner who will not tell us anything. Our first method of interrogation is to get his former friends to convince him it's a good idea to talk. Since you might have known him, I am assigning you first-shift guard duty over him, in hopes that he will reveal something to you in his conversations."

"I might not have known him. Only four Decepticons knew of my presence."

"Really?"

"Who did we capture?"

* * *

Skyfire regarded the Decepticon with suspicion. Although he was sitting quietly, legs folded cross-legged while absently tracing his fingers through the dust on the floor of the seldom-used cell, he was still dangerous. 

'_What do you want?'_ His lips did not move, but Skyfire heard the voice all the same. This ancient link was still valid.

'_I believe I should be the one asking this._' He responded to his captive the same way, through a mental transference process gleaned from the relationship their mentor (Skyfire's creator) had built for them.

There was a chuckle. _'You will not postulate because you know the answer.'_

Skyfire knew the answer indeed. This mech before him always had an agenda to pursue. One that obviously did not involve him because the first thing the Decepticon prisoner had demanded to know was which female Autobots were here on earth. A cruel question from the one Skyfire had once loved so intensely.

'_What _do_ you want?'_ Skyfire had given him enough time to process the contempt the white mech was projecting onto him. _'Have you come here to make sure you do not miss this time?'_

This produced an audible laugh. _'Skyfire, you fool! You and your histrionics have once again gotten you into trouble. Had you given me enough time to explain the Decepticon method of discipline is shooting your underlings, instead of pitching yourself headlong into defecting to the enemy, all of this could have been easily avoided.'_

'_What kind of army would use such corporal punishment on its own soldiers?'_ Skyfire responded with hostility. _'Especially a new recruit.'_ Especially me, he mentally added, outside of the transference.

'_A good one,'_ the prisoner responded.

'_No, it is not.'_

'_Your thoughts betray you, my friend-'_

"NEVER call me that!" Skyfire was backing away from this horrible being, as close to yelling as he came. "Friends do not shoot each other! Friends do not abandon the other in ice for eternity! Friends do not leave their friends to decompose in an Autobot encampment and then demand to know where the FEMMES are the moment they arrive!"

'_You forget another cardinal rule: friends do not emotionally blackmail each other to produce false affection.'_

Skyfire glared, but had nothing to say. Nothing to think. His former best friend, the unrequited love of his life, leaned back against the wall of the cell, smirking.

'_It would seem we have reached an impasse.'_

'_It would appear so.'_ Skyfire's large white hands trembled as he fiddled with the power level on his blaster.

'_Do you wish to return to what we once were?'_

'_No.'_ Skyfire looked at the crackling energon bars that held his best friend and wished for support. _'I hate you.'_

Here the prisoner chuckled out loud again, his scarlet optics dwelling into the azure of Skyfire's. _'A relief. I would hesitate to take back more than what I deserve.'_ He turned away, arms crossed, ignoring all of Skyfire's further probes. His mind was closed, and would remain so for the duration of the Autobot's presence.


	4. No corner you could squeeze me

"Come on now, try to understand the way I feel under your command. Take my hand as the sun descends. They can't hurt you now..."

10,000 Maniacs

"Hello there, the angel from my nightmare...the unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley...where are you? And I'm so sorry, I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight, I need somebody and always, the sick strange darkness comes creeping in, so haunting every time, and as I stared I counted the webs from all the spiders catching things and eating their insides, like the indecision to call you, and hear your voice of treason. Will you come home and stop this pain tonight? Stop this pain tonight!"

Blink 182

Lyra tore through the halls, practically knocking over Mirage in her haste. The desire to see Starscream was PULLING her to him, like a black hole. She tried to override it and properly greet her brother.

"Mirage! Hello!" She was flustered as she hugged him again.

"Oasis. How are you?"

"Better, thanks."

"Were you injured?" He didn't KNOW?

"Megatron got me." Lyra tried not to appear dismayed. He didn't even miss her!

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry to hear that."

She shrugged. "It happens. What are you up to?"

"Well, right now I'm back on patrol for a few days, but when I get back, you and I are going to catch up with a walk around this area. The desert at night kind of reminds me of home, before the war."

"Nice!" It _was_ nice, in that bittersweet twist that Mirage hid from a lot of people. She hoped it wasn't a group excursion with those nasty twits he hung around. "Just us?"

His face fell. "Well, if you want to bring Skyfire, you can."

"No, just us is fine." Lyra ignored the reference and wished him luck on his job. She would have flown down the halls, there was enough room for the whole slew of Aerialbots, but that was considered rude; it was pointless anyway, she was already at the detention center. A haggard Skyfire greeted her there, not surprised to hear of her assignment. Starscream sat on the floor, leaning against the side wall, arms folded.

"He will speak to no one," the mech's gentle voice sighed, exasperated. "As I predicted, our terminated relationship is an impediment rather than a tool."

"You two were friends?" She could hardly compute, out of anticipation, looking only at _him_. She missed Skyfire's uneasy expression.

"Colleagues, but that was a long time ago." Skyfire walked over to the sulking Seeker. Lyra felt the life force inside of her aching to be reunited with him, to _touch_ him. He looked up at her, ruby eyes dull. Skyfire's blue optics reflected concern. "Do not allow him to manipulate you."

"No," she murmured, barely hearing him. Her energon pump was screaming.

Skyfire walked away to recharge, uneasy about leaving her with the tangled wires of petty evil that was Starscream. He had prior events to process, however.

Sinking to his level, energon bars crackling, she faced the robot that would not leave her thoughts.

"You," he whispered hoarsely to her.

"Y_ou_," she echoed, reaching through the bars and getting the shock of her life. Starscream cracked up.

"Mishap, you clumsy fool!"

Lyra rubbed her arm, as if that would help. "I thought I could get around them. I didn't."

"You can't!" Starscream laughed harder. "How can you miss that?"

"You try operating three different systems with three different languages and see how graceful YOU are!" He was still laughing at her, but she didn't care. He was HERE.

"How on Cybertron did you manage to tie up those two goons at the space bridge?"

This made Lyra smile. "War is the same language, no matter the system."

"That's my femme." He leaned through the bars, unscathed. "_I_ happen to be coated with the same material Megatron has, keeping me from being shocked." Starscream gently placed his hands around her face, looked into her violet optics for a moment, and kissed her on the forehead. He settled back down behind the bars. "A more suitable greeting?"

"It'll do," she replied. He reached through the bars again and took her hand.

* * *

"The formula was an experimental concoction I produced to repel Decepticon fire, or maybe it was electricity..." Perceptor explained. "It must have been both." 

"We figured it out, it's both," Optimus replied. "How do we stop it?"

"I don't know. It was merely a prototype."

Prowl interrupted. "You have your notes, right?"

"Correct," The scientist was offended. He had notes for EVERYTHING.

"Can you make another, and find a formula for our blasters to penetrate the coating?"

"Of course!"

Skyfire nodded in agreement. "I can assist."

Wheeljack offered his assistance and was politely refused. Prime did not want Wheeljack near any potentially dangerous chemicals. Grapple was there, too. He volunteered his time to aid them, even though he was more of an architect and less of a scientist.

"Excellent. Make it a priority." Optimus moved to speak to Skyfire alone. "Any word from Starscream?"

"None, Prime. Perhaps Lyra will be more effective." Skyfire didn't believe that. It sounded better to say it out loud, more optimistic. Besides, the Autobot leader did not need to know everything. Optimus nodded and moved on. He had to hear Powerglide's report from Buenos Aires.

* * *

They spent the whole day sitting on the floor, holding hands, saying nothing. When Lyra heard someone coming she disappeared. This backfired when Prowl, who knew what she was doing and had seen her go in, walked by. He did a double-take. "Lyra?" 

"I'm over here," she whispered to Prowl. "I didn't want him to detect me."

"That was not a part of your assignment," The tactician replied. "You're interrogating, not spying."

"Oh," she said cheerfully. Lyra appeared. "I'm glad we cleared that up." She resumed standing by Starscream's cell.

Prowl shook his head. Something about her annoyed him, but he couldn't place it. He walked away, making a note to talk to Optimus about Mirage's strange sibling.

* * *

Optimus did not greet her as she walked in the door. He was busy. Elita-1, Jazz, and Prowl were yelling things over each other to be heard as he typed something into one of Teletraan's side computers. 

"Just jump in," Bumblebee told her as he breezed by. Lyra felt ridiculous. She didn't want to have to fight to make herself heard. She watched Bumblebee run up, hand Optimus Prime a datapad and hurry away. Lyra pulled him aside.

"Does he hold all his meetings like this?" she asked. The yellow mech shook his head.

"Snarl shot Teletraan-1 by accident during an exercise. When Optimus wants to get his updates we usually e-mail them, but since Teletraan is down, and Prime has to help Wheeljack in this corner, they just present. Hey Hound."

"Hi Bumblebee." Hound joined the fray as Elita-1 left. When Prowl left, he was replaced by Perceptor. Lyra sighed.

"You wanted to see me, Optimus?"

"The weapons' antidote has hit a standstill. Do we have any more Cybertonium?"

"-Sixteen point two meter targets had a ninety-nine percent reliability rate-"

"The smaller Autobots think they're being shorted at the recharge plate-"

"Yes, Lyra, I wanted to hear your report on Starscream."

"Well, he-"

"The smaller 'bots also want fewer menial tasks. They feel the bigger ones can do janitorial more often."

"My notes were too difficult to decipher ever since we changed the code, and the other backup notes were erased that time Megatron gave us a database scan, therefore I unfortunately must start from scratch."

"Perceptor, I'm sorry to hear that. Take your time. You can get Cybertonium from Hound."

"Optimus, he uses too much of it. I have to consider the rest of us-"

Bumblebee raced back in. "Prime, Wheeljack got Teletraan working, but it's speaking Japanese!"

"Hound, Elita-1 brought Cybertonium with her. We can spare some for Perceptor. The rest of you, follow me." He strode down the hall quickly, Jazz and Lyra following. "Lyra, report."

"Starscream is coated with the same material as Megatron."

"Then why is he here?" Optimus demanded. "He should have flown away when he had the chance." He turned to Lyra. "Watch what you say around him, he wants something. Jazz, if the smaller Autobots want more cushy jobs, start putting them to work guarding Starscream around the clock. Bumblebee, go get Hound back here. I need an alarm to trigger the moment Starscream tries to escape. Where's Prowl? No, where's Bluestreak? Jazz, get him and tell him to initiate Phase Two. Wait, I want to talk to Prowl, too. And Perceptor. Get them all back here. Dismissed." Prime walked into the main room to a busy Wheeljack and a stubbornly recalcitrant Snarl sulking in a corner. "Konichi-wa, Wheeljack?"

"Very funny, Prime-san."

* * *

"Starscream!" hissed an all-too-familiar voice. It was Megatron. He looked over at Mishap to see her talking to her superior (everyone seemed to be her superior), Prowl. 

"Not now!" Starscream turned off his radio.

Later he contacted his leader. "So far, no one suspects what we're doing. I would suggest you attempt a distraction. There is a surplus of Autobots over here."

"_We're_ doing nothing involving you, you pile of parts! And I _know_ there's an overabundance of Autobots! When are you returning?"

"Miss me already?" Starscream chuckled.

Silence. "Knowing you, you have given away half of our secrets for lenience. I want you under my thumb, where you belong."

"I have not collected what is mine."

"You have enough playthings! Nobody wants a female Autobot toy, anyway. Get back here or I'll start clearing your game scores off of the X box!"

"Starscream out." Megatron was clearly not in one of his sweeter moods. He'd better up the ante with Mishap.

* * *

Most of her attempts to get Starscream to talk were unsuccessful. He somehow always got her to talk about herself. 

"I happened to land in the path of a scouting team. They took me in when I offered the energon cubes as a gift, as well as the employment of the radio frequency I use with my brother-"

"You have a BROTHER!" Granted, most of them were produced en masse or the survivors of gestalts, but Mishap's creators did not seem the type to do quantity over quality. He had no idea!

"-and they used that to contact Optimus. Since I wouldn't give them a name, they called me Lyra."

Starscream's arms reached through the bars and opened her chest compartment. His hands tenderly touched the parts he had made himself, lost in the pride of his workmanship. It was the most unsettling sensation. Almost a reminder of debts due.

"Are you going to let those bars hold you?" she asked nervously.

"I am certain I would not get very far with their unfamiliar alarm system," he explained. "That is where you would come in."

"Starscream!" Lyra drew back in horror. "I'm not going to do that!"

"I thought you loved me!" he taunted.

"I thought you knew better than that!" she cried, standing up. He stood up with her, eyes glimmering. "I can't-I-that's betrayal-the Autobots are not so forgiving-uhh-_why didn't you escape when you had the chance_?"

"Who are you betraying?" he asked, ignoring the last question. "A group of robots who _reluctantly_ welcomed you? Do not trust you?" She did not answer. "You are always welcome wherever I am. How could anyone reject a part of the greatest warrior of all time? Rejoin the Decepticons; be second in command only to _me_." He stretched his hands out through the bars.

She stared at him, uncertain. His remarks hit close to home. She also knew Megatron wanted her dead. There was nowhere to go, but his offer of a companion was tempting...

Nova came into the holding area to see Lyra and the prisoner having a staring match. Lyra's chestplate was open, her expression unreadable. "What is going on?" Nova demanded. Suspicion hung over the air like the smell of burnt carburetors. Lyra looked at her rival guiltily as Starscream enjoyed the scene with sardonic amusement. No one spoke, until Starscream decided to play.

"She almost had me talking!" he gasped histrionically, leaning against his cell wall with the back of his hand against his forehead. "Thank Primus you came along when you did! You broke the spell."

Nova gawked at him. Was he serious? "Your diodes are seriously scrambled," she proclaimed.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," Starscream smoothly replied. He peaked at Lyra, who was closing her chestplate and keeping her optics on the ground. "Whatever your name is, you will not have a second attempt to extract data from me. Count on it." Lyra left, shaking her head. That was close.

* * *

Mirage was not back from patrol yet. As Lyra looked around the commissary she saw no one she really knew. Her old acquaintances were on their way back from South America. Mercuria sat at a table with Moonracer and a few others, but there was clearly no room for her. Not that she wanted to go there, anyway. 

"Excuse me," came a modulated voice behind her.

Lyra realized she was blocking the door. Apologizing, she stepped out of Skyfire's way. She watched him calmly walk over to the energon dispenser, ignoring the random stares from other conversing robots. He walked to the door, mug in hand.

"I thought we weren't allowed to do that," Lyra said. It was messy to leave energon lying around the base, potentially dangerous.

"We're not. One day I forgot and nobody said anything. Nobody does."

"They don't care?"

"They care. It annoys them that I do that. They just can't be bothered to talk to me, since I'm not one of them."

"I thought everybody liked you."

"Hound and the smaller 'Bots sort of do. Perceptor likes the extra hands around the lab. Other than that, no one notices me unless they need a lift somewhere." He walked past her, not really sounding sad about it. Lyra followed.

"Well, I'll be the first one then: you're not allowed to take that out of the cafeteria. Bring it back in and sit with me; I need someone to talk to." He turned around to follow with his expression unchanged. At least she wouldn't be sitting alone.

* * *

Nova leaned on the same wall Lyra had and studied the prisoner. She remembered his numerous attempts to eradicate the female Autobots, his sarcastic comments caustically fired at them, his complete lack of bravery. "You really are worthless," she snarled. "I don't know why we're keeping you here." 

Starscream heard worse from Megatron on a _good_ day. He also saw an opportunity with this Autobot. This one's clouded judgement might be useful.

"Perhaps I know something you _don't_," he suggested, backing away a little as if threatened by her. She fell for it and stepped from the wall, blaster drawn.

"Then perhaps I should pick up where Lyra left off." There was a small note of contempt in Nova's voice when she mentioned that name. Starscream hid a smirk.

"Lyra...that's a lovely name. Pretty girl." This struck a nerve.

"She's a nut! Nothing she does is normal! Worse of all, important people like her! Powerglide, Optimus Prime, Elita-1..."

Starscream was fascinated. So that's what had happened to her! It was a mirror of his own position, down to the resentment vented from the green and yellow female. He encouraged her vitriol. What made Lyra so special? Nova did not know. Moonracer's animosity had slackened regarding this total stranger taking over her job, now that she had reunited with Powerglide. This was the whole reason they disliked her! That and the total blank of five million years that was her past. Nobody got along with her. Starscream gave her a sympathetic look as Nova paced in front of his cell, waving her arms in agitation.

"She's so irritating! She thinks she knows everything. Elita-1 can't see what a self-righteous pain she is, and she dragged us down to this stupid planet for a spy mission...ugh! I hate her!"

"You seem unhappy here."

"I hate it here." She stopped her pacing and looked at the prisoner. "Why do you care?"

Starscream waved his arm in an antiquated gesture that minimized his perspective, as if to say, 'this is merely my opinion, but...' "Autobots are so...complex," he explained. "The emotions and psychology vary from robot to robot. Decepticons are simple: we all want power and glory, and we get it."

"Really?" There was a hint of envy. Starscream took it.

"We've been successful so far."

Nova considered this. Decepticons must be doing something right. They were well-fed, happy, ruling Cybertron. Personally, Nova was sick of losing, scavenging for energon, functioning in a hole in the ground, and routinely cast aside for better Autobots. She was weary of sacrificing her needs for an unattainable ideal. She took a step closer to Starscream, face dangerous.

"_How_ successful?" she asked, intensely curious.

"We've conquered the universe..." He did the wave again. "...Earth falling is only a matter of time." Starscream saw her coming closer as he lowered his voice. She really was innocent, for a hardened warrior. Elita-1 should give them acting lessons. "Which side do you think will be victorious?" He had her now. Their faces almost touched. "Which side do you want to be on?"

Nova started. 'What am I DOING?' she thought, hastily retreating away from Starscream. She turned her back to him, walking away to compose herself and missing his expression in the process. Had she seen it, maybe things would be different. Instead he radiated concern in his voice.

"My dear, if you dislike your new replacement this severely, allow me to help you out a little."

She turned back to him scornfully. "What could YOU do?"

"I'm the second-in-command of the Decepticon army. I didn't get there through sheer atrocity. I like to help."

Nova contemptuously laughed. "I don't believe a word you say, but I like the idea of one-upping that blue menace. What do you want out of me?"

An ally with a sadistic bend, like he. This was a positive turn. "A simple favor: tell me their reaction to what I'm about to reveal."


	5. The wicked lies we tell

"My brother He sit me right down and he talked to me And he told me: he thought I ought to not let you just walk on me. And I know, I know that my brother he meant well. But I don't know what's really true. I said: "Brother If ya only knew You'd be wishin' you were in my shoes." To keep on usin' me, keep on usin' me. Until ya use me up."

Bill Withers

"I know you're no good for me, but you've become a part of me. How can I fight a love that shouldn't be? When it's so deep, so deep, deep inside of me. My love reaches so high I can't get over it, it's so wide I can't get around it."

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

Powerglide came back from aiding earthquake victims in Argentina in time to be put on patrol. "I just got here!" he complained.

"Sorry, buddy," apologized Jazz. "Nova got out of Starscream that Megatron's planning to get the Insecticons to make a raid of some kind in the South Pacific."

"I wish Nova could have gotten something more specific." He'd barely had any time with Moonracer as it was. Such vagaries meant more time searching a vast area.

"The good news is you get a partner."

"Not Skyfire!" Powerglide did not like going out with that flying refrigerator. He was no fun.

"Nope. Lyra."

"Oh yeah!" He forgot Lyra was a jet. "That'll be nice." Moonracer did not see it like that. She cried on Nova's shoulder while Powerglide tried to tell her it was not for that long, just a few weeks. What was the big deal? Moonracer continued to sob. Nova waved the mech away, smiling to herself as she comforted her best friend.

They had been out for a week when Lyra felt exhaustion creeping in. Mirage was right, she had no stamina. Powerglide was in rare form. He liked to play while he worked, so they had a lot of races, as well as follow-the-leader stunts. Right now they were flying low over a city in "Papua New Guinea." The warm air was pleasant as they flew overhead. Lyra could see dark green around the city, a lush tropic area that was beautiful. Still, she missed Cybertron.

"So how often do you come across something?" she asked him.

"Fifty-fifty." Powerglide radioed Optimus. "Nothing going on over there." To her: "Teletraan's speaking the right language again."

Something pulled at her hard enough to waver her flight pattern. "How's Starscream?" she asked, not thinking.

Annoyed silence. "I don't know. On my way out I passed the jail. Saw Skyfire in there."

"Ah, yes. Skyfire." She heard Powerglide snort. "What?"

"Skyfire."

"What about him?"

"Nothing. I just have to laugh at him. He acts like nobody else is in the room. He's a nut! When he's not in the lab doin' geeky stuff he's watchin' TV. He's a cartoon fan, ya know!"

Lyra did not know what Powerglide was talking about. She had no idea what a nut, cartoon, or fan were. "Is that bad?"

"Uh, yeah! A giant robot who watches a show for kids?"

What are kids? "Are all Autobots this intolerant of differences?"

Her phrasing surprised him. "I don't know...just, if you act weird, don't be surprised that we're gonna make fun of you. Uh-oh!"

"What?"

"Weather reports indicate a typhoon in our trajectory. I'm radioing the airport to get clearance to go higher." Lyra saw nothing in particular on the horizon. They flew up to the warmer stratosphere, where she had a clearer view of a mass of clouds below them.

"Wow, there it is...I didn't see that coming."

'And that,' Powerglide thought impishly. 'Is why you fail, young jet.'

* * *

Back at last! Powerglide e-mailed the report of Nova's tip being a dud. Lyra rushed into the detention center and nearly flattened Huffer. He looked at her suspiciously until, thinking quickly, she informed him she was here to relieve his shift. Once he was gone, she turned to Starscream. 

"Where have you been?" he scratched wearily. He leaned against the wall, barely lifting his head. He looked low.

"What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

"They cut my energon supply."

Lyra dropped his hand. "They can't do that!"

Starscream glared. "You are a spy! You must have been interrogated before! Of course they can, and they will, unless I talk."

"I'm not a spy, I'm a scientist." It was not her voice. It was not her thought. She shook it off by saying, "I was only caught once. They rebuilt me to be a Decepticon. This interrogation stuff is all new to me. They STARVE you? What next? Will they beat you to a pulp when Powerglide's report shows…your...last tip was..." Lyra broke into a run to find the glider before he sent the report. Too late! He was walking outside Bluestreak. "Powerglide! Did you e-mail the report?" He nodded. "Why did you do that? Now there's going to be trouble!" she cried, forgetting to mask her ire. "You moron!"

"Hey! What's your problem?" Bluestreak demanded as an angry Powerglide folded his arms across his chest in annoyance.

"Starscream-" She couldn't finish the thought because she realized it gave away too much. "-was lying," she finished lamely.

"I know that. That's what I said in my report." Powerglide could not get what happened to Oasis. No, Lyra. Nova was right, she really was a weirdo. Whatever she was, he didn't want to be around it. Both walked past her, glaring. Bluestreak was ready to spread the word over her latest blowup at one of the last remaining allies she had.

Lyra ran back and saw the prisoner with new eyes. He was now lying on the ground, shutting off everything that wasn't vital, head resting on crossed arms.

"How long have they been doing this to you?" she asked.

"A month." He saw her holding her Autobot symbol. Time for some drama. "I didn't want to say anything."

She considered her charge on the floor. "I'm your interrogator! They never told me they were doing this!"

"They don't have to!" It was Prowl, who had been passing on his way from delivering Optimus the news that Perceptor had figured out the prototype formula. He had just run into the offended Powerglide and Bluestreak in the hall. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

She hung her head in chagrin. "Well, no. I was in a mine for five million years. I'm sorry I haven't kept up with the latest war techniques." The anger at Powerglide and the confusion of being caught made her dangerously sarcastic to this higher-up. Autobots may have a casual hierarchy, but Prime's officers still got respect.

He put a hand to his tired eyes. She'd jeopardized the whole purpose of holding Starscream prisoner. "Get out of here. You are to be reassigned, and you better hope we can salvage this. Nice try Starscream, you almost had her."

"That's what you think."

"Where's Huffer? He's supposed to be guarding over him, not you." Prowl radioed the missing Autobot. He looked over to see Lyra still looking at the Decepticon on the floor. "Get out! That's an order!"

"I'll think of something," she whispered to Starscream.

"You'd better." She walked out, Prowl escorting her to find Elita-1 for reassignment. "Or I'm dead."

* * *

"Are they going to torture him? No, my dear. We are soldiers, not bullies." The female Autobot shook her head. "But that is no longer your business. You have to be reassigned." Elita-1 had no idea what to do with her. Her whole being radiated disappointment in Lyra, she could FEEL the waves. "Why did Optimus give you this job, if you had no idea how to do it?" she pondered. "Well, I suppose..." she looked at Chromia, who shrugged. "Where is there a lack of people?" 

"The laboratory," Mercuria, eavesdropping, supplied for them.

"Affirmative. I will radio Perceptor. Go over there now." As Lyra walked out, she heard a transmission come in. She was promptly called back.

"You are also, at Prowl's request, to stay away from the detention center until further notice."

"Yes Ma'am." Lyra hated having six or seven bosses instead of one ruler. The good news, if it was to be considered good, was that they all seemed to want the same thing.

* * *

Perceptor welcomed Lyra into the lab. What did she know about lasers? 

"Not much," she answered. "Do you have a chip enlarger?"

"The best!" Perceptor hurried her over. "What do you know about it? It's broken."

"How to use it."

"Hmm. I think you might do better aiding Skyfire."

Lyra sighed. Would she ever get away from this guy? He was always staring at her, it seemed. Now she had to work with him. This would be a punishment like no other.

Skyfire was surprised at how little she knew. Although Lyra had accompanied Starscream in his lab, she never aided him in his endeavors. She knew nothing of chemistry.

"I suppose that we will have to start somewhere."

Concrete experience lacking, Skyfire classified her at Square One, below the Dinobot who had recently lost interest and quit to create this opening. For a good amount of time, Lyra managed to stay out of trouble with her fellow Autobots by remaining with this large, gentle mech; mostly because Skyfire himself avoided troublesome situations. He hid in the lab and tried to come up with an antidote to the new protective covering Megatron had. He decided that if she were to trail him around, which he enjoyed no matter the Autobot for some reason, he might as well tutor her in the ways of science.

Skyfire was an excellent teacher, allowing her first to hand him objects at his request. When she was familiar with the equipment, he guided her through the Scientific Method. He felt confident enough in her abilities to have her measuring chemicals and mixing nonflammable elements by the end of the month, when Optimus Prime called her into his office.

"How long have you been in the laboratory?" He asked.

"An earth month." She had witnessed another spy group go out in her stead, and come back empty-handed. A horrible discomfort inside her had intensified to the point she could hardly stand it. These came with great frequency. It helped to be by Skyfire. She had no idea why, but the emptiness that followed when the nagging pains ceased was more bearable when she hovered around the giant, even though she realized this was what a remora felt like when around a shark.

"Skyfire says you have an amazing aptitude. He is recommending you intern with Hoist and Ratchet to be a medic."

"I would rather be a scientist." It was a silent mumble, not even thought out.

Optimus was undeterred. "Mechanics is a vital part of science. You could learn a lot."

"Why not?" She was useless as a spy. Except...

Throughout the previous month Lyra lived two lives. In one, she toiled in the lab with Perceptor and Skyfire. In the other, she scavenged desperately for energon for Starscream. Half-consumed energon mugs were spirited away from the lab and pocketed into subspace. Full mugs she pretended to drink but really hid went as well. When everyone in the base was at their busiest, she disappeared. Starscream nearly blew her cover the first time he saw a disembodied mug hovering around his face. ("This stuff tastes terrible, Mishap.") She had to make sure whoever was watching him really didn't _watch_ him. Cliffjumper was a watcher. Sideswipe and Powerglide were not. While the small red Autobot spent the whole time staring at Starscream, weapon drawn, the two larger robots took this time to call their friends in to hang around. Within a large group of robots, all there to have a good time, nobody looked at him, freeing her to render aid amidst the chaos. Because this factoid was, until recently, unknown to her patient her arrivals were completely random to poor Starscream. The Decepticon prisoner never knew what was coming until it arrived, making him jumpier than usual.

Nova walked in one day and saw him pacing his cell. "Aren't you supposed to be dying?"

Starscream jumped. "WARN me when you do that!" he yelled. He ran over to the bars. "Did you bring it?"

She held up the small container of oil. "Sunstreaker's been getting it for me."

"Ahhh..." Now his joints would stop creaking like an old mech's.

Nova watched him. Starscream told her stories of his life as a Decepticon while he oiled. She rationalized that they were entertainment. This week, the subject was his youth.

"We were all great friends together at Cybertron Academy when the first Great War began. Skywarp loved practical jokes. We used to put fish under the professor's beds and kidnap people and dye the fountain green."

Nova giggled. She looked over at Beachcomber, who was seriously watching them as they spoke. How long had he been there? Her chronometer told her it was fifteen minutes past her shift. "I should get going."

Starscream nodded. Mishap would not come until later. He couldn't wait. He craved that nasty tasting energon. Too bad Mishap wasn't as much fun as Nova. Then again, Mishap had heard all his stories twice. As he bid the female Autobot good-bye he re-evaluated his strategy. Perhaps he could take Nova with him, too. Nova left, pondering something close to that. She was worried about Starscream's fate. Maybe if she aided his escape, he would reward her with his friendship. Maybe something better than what she got from Sunstreaker. All the Lamborghini cared about was himself and fighting, in that order. She really didn't like him that much anyhow. Having a boyfriend was what female Autobots wanted, and Nova followed what the others did. It was the only way to know she was normal.


	6. Waste the hours with talking

"And I know, I know they've all been talking about me. I can hear them whisper, and it makes me think there must be something wrong with me. Out of all the hours thinking: somehow I've lost my mind. But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell, I know right now you can't tell. But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see a different side of me. I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. I know right now you don't care but soon enough you're gonna think of me, and how I used to be."

Matchbox 20

"...if you think I'ma admit wrong. I cripple any hypocritic critic I'm sic'd on and this song is for any kid who gets picked on. A sick song to retaliate to, and...It's Fight Music!"

Eminem/D-12

Autobots do not have the luxury of sleeping and lounging about; someone must always be on guard for Decepticon activity. At six o'clock in the morning, the larger day shift staggered to randomly assorted community tables and drank non-spiked energon from mugs. It was their only time to completely come online, as well as socialize. Nova came into the commissary still reflecting upon Starscream. She almost ran into Sunstreaker.

"Hi!" she greeted him. He leaned over and kissed her cheek as thoughtlessly as one would scratch a dog's forehead while on the way to perform a more assiduous task.

"Hi." He seemed out of sorts. His handsome face scowled slightly.

"Problem?"

"I've been on a dozen recon missions and we've come up with nothing! I'm sick of chasing a slaggin' shadow. When is that interrogator going to come up with something?" Mornings were not Sunstreaker's favorite time of day. Unless he was getting dragged off of his recharge plate to fight, there was no decent reason to be up this early.

"She can't, she got reassigned to the lab." Nova waved her arm over to the blue femme accumulating energon for her co-workers. She wasn't supposed to take it out of the commissary, but nobody said anything. Swoop had quit the lab after being their energon carrier for almost six months, according Powerglide. Sunstreaker leered as they joined the line for energon of their own.

"Did they say why she moved?"

"Chromia said Prowl found out she wasn't doing her job right."

"It had to be more than that. Bluestreak was babbling something about her losing it to Powerglide." Andromeda joined them with Sideswipe in tow, cutting in front of Gears. Gears protested, Sunstreaker told him to shut up, starting an argument. Mercuria, who was ahead in line, offered to let Gears cut in front of her. Glaring, the red Autobot accepted. Mercuria waved to Mirage at the biggest table at the other end of the cafeteria, saving it for the rest of them. When his sister passed him on the way to the door he called her over.

"He is _not,_" objected Nova. The others turned to see the overburdened blue female hesitate. Mirage smiled broader. They could not hear the exchange over the noise, but they saw her pocket the drinks into subspace and sit down with one mug in Mercuria's seat.

"He did." Andromeda shrugged. "It's his sister, so why not?"

"He sees so little of her as it is," Mercuria added, moving forward in the line. She seemed unaffected by the annexation of her place next to Mirage.

"Whatever," Sideswipe spoke up, for the first time that morning. He knew that he would be the one scrounging up a chair for the overflowing table. "How was your last patrol, Sunny?"

Sunstreaker glowered. His twin was the only one who would get away with calling him that. "Nothing but a wild petro-rabbit chase. We have nothing to go on. Whatever the 'Cons are up to they're hiding it pretty well."

"So that tip in the South Pacific led nowhere?"

"Powerglide handled that. He said it was a total dud."

"So what are they DOING out there? I doubt they're catching up on 'As the Kitchen Sinks'." They were sitting around the table, settling in for a pleasant morning of lazy conversation.

"They don't have TV reception down there," Nova interjected.

Sunstreaker looked up from his search for Sideswipe's chair to stare. "How do you know that?"

"I've been talking to him while I watch him. You know, get him talking, free association leading to slips...basic psychology."

"Is that how you got that worthless inside information?" Lyra asked, taking the bait perfectly. Starscream was right. Nova wondered if the other pointers he gave her would work. It never occurred to ask her why Starscream knew Lyra so well. Well, it had, but she wanted to irritate her rival more than truly question the background of those two.

"At least I got something out of him," she retorted.

Mirage glared at the green-and-yellow female. Nova withdrew and allowed him to change the subject to the Dinobots' shooting Teletraan-1.

"Wheeljack got it in his head to teach them martial arts. While Teletraan showed them the video of fighters, Snarl got excited and incinerated the keyboard." Chuckles. "When Wheeljack got it working, it only spoke Spanish."

"Japanese," Lyra corrected. She was only half-listening. She was staring at Sunstreaker.

"Right," the attractive yellow mech chimed in. "It went from Japanese to Spanish to Arabic to English."

"Optimus doesn't know Arabic, does he?" Andromeda asked.

"No." They laughed.

"Who does?" Mercuria asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Mirage chuckled to himself as he thought about it.

"Yes, I would."

"C'mon, spill it!" Sideswipe hadn't heard this story yet.

"Omega Supreme."

"What!" The table erupted.

"He had a job guarding Saudi Arabian oil fields during the Gulf War and he picked up the language."

Sunstreaker still couldn't believe it. "Does he speak it in two-word sentences?"

"I have NO idea. They dragged him from wherever he was hiding and he stood outside the ark, radioing what to type to Wheeljack. When it was back to English Optimus hid in his room for the rest of the day. He said he had a headache, and to send the Dinobots to work cleaning energon mugs as punishment."

"Hope we have more on back order." Sideswipe watched Andromeda gather theirs up for refills. "I'll do that, sweetie."

"Thank you, honey." She kissed him. Nova followed suit for Sunstreaker. Mercuria looked across the table at her boyfriend and kissed the air. Lyra looked into her mug and did nothing. She really hadn't said much. She smiled when they laughed, nodded at the parts that were familiar. Other than that, she was the statue in a garden of flowers. A statue focused on one particular yellow blossom. Nova hated her.

"Poor Prime," she sighed. "He's under a lot of stress lately."

"He's always under a lot of stress," Mirage replied. "It goes with the territory."

"So he usually has crazy Dinobots, a plethora of guests, a missing megalomaniac, and an unstable Decepticon in his prison?" Andromeda asked, amused.

"You don't have to believe me, but yes, it's usually like this." Mirage accepted the mug Sideswipe returned.

"We've never had Starscream for this long," the red mech interpolated. "Why hasn't he left yet?"

Nobody said anything. Nova looked at Lyra, who scowled into her empty mug, wishing she'd asked for a refill with the others. Using the other mugs she'd stored never entered her mind.

"Whatever it is, he's definitely keeping himself entertained." Nova put her mug down and reached into subspace. It was in here somewhere. "He's really funny, when you spend some time with him."

"I have," growled Mirage, remembering a very unpleasant incident or two. "He wasn't funny."

Nova ignored him, withdrawing an object out of thin air. "He gave me this."

Lyra pretended to drink her nonexistent energon to keep from grinding her jaw off in animosity. Nova purposely did not meet her eye, although she wanted to more than anything.

"Where did you get THAT?"

"Did he peel it off himself?"

Nova held the insidious purple sigil in her hand protectively, allowing herself a glance at Lyra, who was holding the piece of mug she'd bitten off between her thumb and forefinger. She was giving it her utmost attention. "It's not his." Time for the kill. "He said it belongs to Mishap."

The others exchanged glances. "I've never heard that name before," Sideswipe, nonplussed. "Have you guys?" They shook their heads, except for Nova and Lyra. "Who is he?"

"Not he. _She_. Starscream found out one day that someone had hired a mercenary spy to follow him around and sabotage everything he tried to do. The fool fell in love with him...started protecting him by shooting any Autobot who stood in his way. She was helping him take over the Decepticons, which you know would have been chaos, until she got caught by Megatron. He killed her...or so he thought. Starscream took pity on her and repaired her on the condition she left him alone. He put her on the space bridge and sent her to Cybertron...about the time we found YOU, Lyra."

Now all attention was on her. She was gone.

"Lyra?" Mirage still sensed her there.

"Yes?" she squeaked. She cleared her voice box.

"You're invisible."

"Am I? Sorry," the voice replied coolly. "This thing must have malfunctioned. I'll go to Ratchet and get him to look at it." No one got the joke. Lyra let it be. "Nice seeing you guys again." Mirage turned to the others. Nova had the symbol still in her clutches.

"Nice." Mirage needed to do damage control carefully. "Starscream put together a cute story for you."

"He didn't make it up." This was not how she expected Mirage to react.

"You've fought Starscream how many times?" His voice was rising as he spoke.

"Once. No wait, twice."

"Have you ever been captured by him?" She shook her head. "Fought hand-to-hand combat with him?" Another shake. "Been tortured by him?" She started looking uncomfortable. She shook her head again. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were watching, with different expressions. The red mech was nodding with Mirage at the verbal attack, but Sunstreaker had defiance as he glared at Lyra's brother. "Yet, in a few earth months, you've become close enough to him to get him to tell you a deep secret about one of his never-ending parade of girlfriends. One you not-so-subtly assume is my sister. Oasis, who took the brunt of a bomb to protect me, Powerglide, Sunstreaker, Gears..."

"Bumblebee," filled in Sideswipe.

"Bumblebee, thanks. Did you know she rescued me from a Decepticon raid when they were burning our home down? That she had to shoot our creator's best friends when they attacked us? Robots we'd grown up with." He gestured to the Lamborghini brothers, who'd nodded, keeping their faces the same as before to make the nod conflicting in its definition. "Did you know she was the one who found the Autobots base and begged them to take me in, so that I wouldn't die from my wounds? That she offered her own parts and circuits because they were so hard up at the time?"

"I'd forgotten that," Sunstreaker muttered.

"You had run away by then," Mirage responded, optics still burning into Nova's downturned face.

"You told us about that when we came back," Sideswipe said.

"Wow. I did not know that about Lyra either." Mercuria tried to sidetrack them. Nova wasn't allowing that.

"Why isn't she Oasis NOW?" She demanded. "This whole time she's kept her new name, one we had to give her when she wouldn't tell us who she was."

"Maybe she doesn't want to insult us," Mercuria suggested.

"I would not be insulted if she wanted to reclaim her birthright," Nova began. "But she hasn't. This makes me think she lied about being Oasis, and that she's a Decepticon plant and Starscream's story is partially true."

"Yes, but which part?" Andromeda mused. She was ignoring the volcanic rage Mirage barely contained. He was well-bred but like Lyra, not much of an actor.

"Are you, NOVA, suggesting I don't know my own sister?"

"We didn't know a Prime clone from the real Prime," Sunstreaker responded, unwilling to let go of his old grudge and grateful for a logical explanation to reinforce his dislike. "She's changed a lot, Mirage. Ask anyone around here. Changed enough to make me think she's not enough of the same person we knew."

"I can't accept this rationale." Mirage was trying hard to not yell. Jazz eyed him from the next table. "That is my sister. She's been through something none of us can comprehend, and not taking it well. I'm sorry she can't be as sweet as the rest of you."

"All of us have pity stories, Mirage. She's not unique." Nova was winning! Unbelievable! "I still think she's not on the level with us. I'll prove it soon enough."

Mirage excused himself to keep from hitting her. After he stormed out Mercuria rose and graciously explained she would go talk to him. Sideswipe and Andromeda, satiated with the drama that laid out in front of them, left with a cheerful enough good-bye.

Sunstreaker turned to his female, one whom he'd never really given a serious thought until now. She was stronger than he thought. He had assumed she was another admirer, someone who adored him as much as he adored himself, and up until the moment he saw her stand up to Mirage with a theory that made a great deal of sense, he assumed she was merely decoration. Not now. As of this moment, she was a worthy partner. He leaned over to her, eager to assist her in her endeavors. "I'll help."


	7. The rain that falls

"I'm gaining strength, trying to learn to pull my own weight. But I'm gaining pounds at the precipice of Too Late (Just Wait)."

BNL

"Hey man, we look at each other with ample eyes, so why not some time do discover what's behind your eyes? I've got so many questions that I want to ask you. I am so tired of mirrors...And there's a shadow in the sky, and it looks like rain, and s--- is gonna fly, once again."

Nelly Furtado

Skyfire drew an equation on the databoard. Lyra stared. She knew she had to compute this. Her metal brow furrowed as she tried to balance the equation. Did it lose any ions due to thermal reaction? Was there smoke? She frowned deeper.

"I can't do this." She wanted to yell, but she had learned that that was the easiest way to tick off everyone in the room. She discovered that it was unspoken Autobot scientist precept to NEVER raise your voice. It was illogical. It accomplished nothing. It had you sent to the commissary with all of the accumulated energon mugs as punishment. "Skyfire, I have no idea where you got that."

"This is why I have requested aid." Skyfire checked his chronometer. Five more minutes. "He'll be here soon. Until then, could you..?"

Lyra smiled. "I'll be right back. Percy? Graps? Energy?"

"Yes, please." Although Grapple was an architect, he had volunteered to help the scientists until the antidote was discovered. He was the second-biggest energon fiend, close to Perceptor. Lyra returned in ten minutes, hands full. She too, was never stopped. Odd. There was another mug stored in subspace for Starscream. When she came in she saw the small human known as Spike standing on a large stool, writing on the databoard something from a book. Lyra dispensed the beverages and stood by the human, speechless. Her internal force still mistrusted him.

Spike looked up. "Hey," he greeted. "I had an old chemistry book from my college days. I thought you might be interested."

Taught by a human. Starscream would have a laugh at this. Lyra felt like chuckling herself. She turned to see her mentors all sitting on a table, as though to witness this embarrassing lecture. Skyfire nodded encouragingly. Lyra turned back to Spike to hear him begin at the very beginning, informing her that this was a very good place to start. If Lyra had not had all those years of handling subordinates, she might have been offended. On a level, she was. She knew better, but she was. Where did this easily agitated facet come from, anyway? It wasn't always there.

"Spike," she interrupted. "If I may, isn't there a fourth element? Plasma?"

"Yes," he answered confidently. "It's not explored on this basic a level of chemistry, though."

"Oh." Now Lyra was REALLY embarrassed. The audience behind her didn't help. She was still unaccustomed to having her peers watch so closely. Lyra glanced behind her to see that they had slipped away. Once they heard her asking questions and treating Spike as a tutor, their main concern, there was no other reason to observe. They were gone. Good. Lyra concentrated on what Spike was saying.

* * *

Skyfire again confronted his enemy. '_The likeness is uncanny.'_

'_That is not the reason she is whom I seek,_' the Decepticon retorted. _'Her resemblance to our former mentor is subjective. _I_ do not see it.'_

Skyfire knew better than to argue with Starscream over trivialities such as whether or not Skyfire's creator lived in this small Autobot or not. _'Are you still asking me to rejoin you?'_

This was met with a contemptuous laugh. _'You have made your decision already. Why reinvent the cosine wave? Forget that should you accompany me this stupid war will be over for us. Ignore that being my second-in-command will return you to the air, where you belong. Merely ask yourself this: at what point in time will my absence from your life drive you to insanity?'_

Skyfire started in surprise. Starscream was right. They were fused together in a thought pattern that already haunted him. Could he survive another eon without his best friend, especially when one still refused to forgive and the other demanded more than reconciliation? Skyfire doubted it.

'_Another impasse,'_ Starscream claimed, leaning back against the wall.

'_There will come a time when you will receive my answer, which will most likely be NO, until then...I must continue to watch over your protege.'_

Starscream's condescending thoughts turned to excitement. _'She is doing well, then?'_

'_Why not? Most of your life force is hers. She learns well.'_ Skyfire saw the Seeker smile.

'_Excellent.'_

* * *

After eight hours of teaching, the human was exhausted. They had gone through highlights of his textbook, and Lyra had homework, but first she wanted to see Mirage. She pictured him sitting around with Mercuria and company, causing her to hurry out of the lab to find him. As she passed by the detention center she felt a need to look in. Skyfire was there with Starscream, each having a staring contest of some kind. She felt a great deal of rage. 

There was no reason for this anger. How dare they see each other behind her back? Traitors! It consumed her so much she did not see what was in front of her until she nearly collided with a surly Sunstreaker. He told her to watch it. She shout at him to get out of her way. Not interested in a fight that would get him in trouble when Nova was so close to uncovering the truth, he settled on shoving her out of his path. She was running after him, fluctuating in and out of visibility when Skyfire picked her up and carried her off from the irate golden warrior before she placed a "Shoot me" sign on his back.

"He asked for it!" she screamed.

"You need a time-out!" He put her on a stool and stared at her, face to face. The gentle mech had a firm expression of discipline that irritated her.

"I need nothing of the sort! All I want to do is see my brother, you overgrown carrier pigeon!"

Skyfire started at this. Starscream had just called him that during their mental transference. She couldn't hear it, so how could she have thought it? "He's out on call with Mercuria and Cliffjumper."

"What? How can he be missing so often? Are there powers working against me?"

"No, 'Red Alert'. No one is trying to harm you. Calm down."

Lyra glared. She really resented his interference. Perhaps he should get a taste of his own coolant. "What were you doing with Starscream?"

"Nothing." The serious mech had a deeper scowl than usual.

Lyra decided it was time to change the subject by asking about her brother's mission. Apparently Skyfire had been in the room when this had all occurred.

"After Teletraan was fixed we found a distress call from Dr. Fujiyama, the scientist who built the robot ninja Nightbird." He proceeded to tell her the story, complete with Starscream's involvement.

"Now he is a professor at a different university. Kettering. It's in Michigan. That's not too far from here, it's still on the continent. He'll return soon." Skyfire was relieved she was off the subject of Starscream. Skyfire's former cohort had asked for forgiveness, saying he was sorry he had shot him, and wanted him to return to the Decepticons with a more exalted position. Skyfire swallowed his first reaction to refuse and instead claimed he wanted time to think about this. Lyra seemed more eager to discuss Mirage. She had forgotten the fight with Sunstreaker too, which was a good idea. That was not a mech to mess with.

* * *

Mirage silently reviewed the file he had on Flint, Michigan. A city abandoned by everything, from the automotive industry to the middle class to even those who built it. Six times the national murder rate, three times the nation's rates of rape, assault and burglary, this is not a city for the timid. A twelve percent crime rate and a Michael Moore movie theme in its credits, this blight is the poster child for the danger of having only one industry rule your town. The natives of Detroit fear this crime-ridden hell on earth. Yet inside this crater, in the southwest corner, is one of the toughest engineering schools in the country. 

Kettering University's five-building campus clusters together like Napoleon's troops on defense. A co-opt engineering college, it boasts the 11-week course schedule of twenty credits that alternates with 12 weeks of paid co-opt with the largest Automobile manufacturers in the country. Graduates are almost guaranteed a job with the Big 3, or they may move on to Ivy League graduate work. Six percent become CEO's. Here, in this urban graveyard of southeast Michigan, Dr. Fujiyama hid his family after the Nightbird debacle.

Mirage tore through I-75 as fast as the pothole-marked highway would allow him. Cliffjumper already broke his axle on one nasty hole by Hazel Park. Mercuria kept conversation going by asking as many questions as she could about the file. The clouds around them darkened the farther north they went, and cold rain forced them to slow down.

It was almost evening when they arrived. There were no security guards in sight, no checkpoints, and no gates. Hadn't an important plaque commemorating the first unionized sit-down strike been stolen a mere fifty meters from this place? Weren't armed robberies committed in broad daylight? Where was security?

"Shut up," said Cliffjumper, tired of Mirage's monologue. "Let's find the doctor. Ask those kids over there."

Several young men were leaving the Recreational Center, one with aSigma Chifraternity sweatshirt on. As Mirage and company transformed he heard a few of them whistle.

"Hey! Autobots!"

"I didn't know you had girls."

"What's under the hood?"

"Bagel!"

"Hello," Mercuria smoothly greeted them. She was a brilliant negotiator with an amazing charisma that got her noticed. Nothing flattered Mirage more than her attentions. She was so _bewitching_. "Perhaps you could help us. We are looking for a Dr. Fujiyama."

The young men exchanged glances. "He teaches Dynamic Systems," explained the one called Bagel. "It's Saturday, so my guess would be he's at home. He'll be back here on Monday." The bell tower sounded, causing Cliffjumper to leap, startled. He smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand.

"Saturday! Why didn't I think of that? Teletraan's been offline for a few days! That message was old!"

"That is not a setback. He lives a few towns over, in Clarkston. We can go see him there, since we have his address," Mirage reminded him. These simple missions were much nicer than battles. He was glad Optimus gave him mundane patrol assignments instead of fighting. Cliffjumper hated them. He wasn't too fond of Mirage either. This mission had both police work and potential fighting, so they were paired up. Mercuria was sent as the intermediary.

"Thanks, guys," Mercuria said, smiling sweetly. She transformed, and raced onto Chevrolet Street towards the highway. Mirage hurried to catch up, noting that downtown could be seen through the razed concrete monolith that once was Buick City, now acres of flattened cement. The Citizen's Bank weather ball was blinking blue, meaning it was going to get colder, and continue to precipitate. Cliffjumper asked how he knew.

"Didn't you read the file?" He obviously hadn't heard a word Mirage said on the way up.

"No. That's geek stuff."

"Never mind, then." Obviously Cliffjumper was here merely to annoy him.

* * *

Dr. Fujiyama had a beautiful house in an expanding town south of Flint. Cliffjumper, the only bot small enough to knock on the door, greeted the teenage girl who answered it. She screamed and ran inside. This was not the response of someone who regarded them as friends. 

"Wait! We're here to help! What happened?"

"I'm calling the police!" she screamed from deep within.

"Good! Maybe they'll calm her down." Cliffjumper appealed to Mercuria. "It's all you."

The silver femme looked into the second-floor window. "My name is Mercuria. We're here at your father's request."

"You TOOK my father, you evil robots!" shrieked the window.

Cliffjumper turned to Mirage as flecks of sleet sparsely assaulted them. "You'd better radio Optimus. We're too late."

* * *

Megatron turned away from the computer in their temporary base. "As you have observed Doctor, _I_ have Laserbeak ready to tear your daughter to pieces the moment the Autobots leave. Perhaps you should reconsider your obdurate refusal to satisfy my inquiries." 

From his spot on the table Dr. Fujiyama glared wrathfully. "You monster! Leave her alone."

Megatron lowered his face to be almost even with the scientist's. "I grow tired of asking, _doctor_. One last time: where is she?" Dr. Fujiyama remained silent. Megatron straightened up and turned around. The Autobots had vacated the premises. "Very well. Laserbeak!"

"Wait!" He had no intention of allowing the release of Nightbird, but Megatron gave him no choice. "I'll tell you."

"Excellent." Starscream wanted a distraction. This would do nicely. It would also teach him to not turn his radio off.


	8. What a wildeyed beast you be

"OH NO! The fight's out I'ma 'bout to punch yo lights out. Get the F-- back, guard ya grill. There's somethin' wrong, we can't stay still. I've been drankin' and bustin' two and I been thankin' of bustin' you upside ya motherf---' forehead! And if your friends jump in, "Ohhh gurrlll", they'll be mo' dead!"

Ludicris

"Hits like a Phillips head into my brain. It's gonna be too dark to sleep again. Cutting my teeth on bars and rusty chains, I'm gonna break my rusty cage and run."

Soundgarden

The warehouse was hidden with a slew of others outside of a major Japanese trading dock. Noise erupted from every corner, from the humans to the boats to the helicopters above their heads. Here the Decepticons hustled undetected amidst the vast reaches of commerce.

Human engineering had come a long way in the last few years after Decepticons made it a habit of bursting through walls. Under the command of stealth and a reluctance to mar his paint job on concrete and titanium Skywarp transported himself inside and unlocked the large, sliding metal garage door. Thrust, Ramjet, and Ravage followed him down between the rows and rows of crates.

"Dr. Fujiyama says it was labeled "Hamdingers," announced Skywarp.

"That makes sense, nobody likes Hamdingers," Ramjet commented with a grin. "So where is it?"

"Don't know. It's been awhile. Let's split up and start breaking boxes open."

They tore at everything with the reckless abandon children have at Christmas. Ramjet was knee deep in old Simpson's T-shirts when his radio beeped. "Ravage found something!" They found him in front of a giant box. "How come we didn't notice this before?" It covered half of the wall.

"Doesn't matter, open it up!"

All four tore at any packaging with a vigor. There she was. Skywarp radioed The Insecticons to pull themselves out of the rice paddies of Viet Nam and fly over. "There's a prize in that box of Hamdingers! We need Bombshell to reactivate his pet!"

"We're coming, coming," Shrapnel returned, voice already weary from the prospect of dealing with these morons.

"So when will they get here?" Thrust asked, nervously eying the ninja.

"Give 'em an earth hour, then we radio Megatron to yell at them. 'Til then...what's in that box over there?"

* * *

"Warning! Warning! Decepticon activity in progress!" Teletraan-1 showed Insecticons, followed by Megatron and company, headed into a large Japanese warehouse. 

"Skyfire!" barked Optimus Prime. He arrived quickly. "Get a strike team assembled and get to Japan. When I find the Aerialbots I will send them to aid, but I need you and a group to go there first!" This was when he noticed Skyfire's latest sidekick. Usually it was Cliffjumper or Swoop or Hound, but lately it was Lyra. That should keep her out of trouble. He nodded to the Seeker. "Go with them," he ordered. "Autobots! Transform and roll out!"

* * *

Skyfire had as many small Autobots as he could carry in his hold. In a moment of stupidity Lyra agreed to carry Spike, until she realized that she had no interior built for human transportation. 

"He should not be going anyway, this might be dangerous."

From Optimus' left, Prowl glared at her. "He's our human intermediary. He goes." Spike intervened.

"Prowl, she's right. Besides, I don't really know Japanese."

"Whatever you want, Spike."

Spike elected to stay. Lyra took off after Skyfire.

"What are we looking for?" she asked over the radio.

"Any kind of Decepticon activity Teletraan picked up in that warehouse!" Brawn radioed back. "We'll try to drive them out, while you and Skyfire will chase them down. The Aerialbots have been called and Powerglide's on his way."

"Great," she muttered. She had to face Megatron again. "How are we going to do that, without working blasters?"

"We'll have to get creative, kid!" Brawl enthusiastically endorsed Cliffjumper and Hound. "That's where WE come in."

Megatron watched Bombshell place the cerebroshell into Nightbird's head. They did not want a repeat of what happened last time to this semi-sentient being. The gray leader smiled to himself as Soundwave received a transmission from Buzzsaw.

"Incoming: Autobots."

"As expected. Ramjet, Thrust, Thundercracker, Skywarp! Greet our guests." As they transformed Megatron picked up the prisoner and threw him at the Seekers. "Give them a welcoming present!"

Skywarp chuckled vilely, transferring the fettered professor into his pilot's seat as he took off. While he soared above he was tackled by a surly Sideswipe. "Give us the Professor or I'll stuff my foot into your afterburners!"

"Go ahead! Take 'em!" Skywarp ejected the scientist and threw Sideswipe off at the same time. Sideswipe landed in the ocean and fished out Dr. Fujiyama quickly, placing him away from the battle. "Here!" Sideswipe shot the chains to break a few links. Dr. Fujiyama ran as fast as he could out of the line of fire. Sideswipe hurried back into the warehouse in time to see the Decepticons retreating.

"Hey! They barely put up a fight!"

"They didn't have to!" yelled Cliffjumper from inside, "They left us a friend!" This was punctuated by the small red Autobot sailing out the door, Hound closely following. Nightbird leapt outside and faced all three. Cliffjumper shook himself off. "We didn't promise to do no harm this time! Get 'er!"

Skyfire swooped after Megatron, Lyra overhead.

"You need to get one of the others!" he called.

She promptly disappeared. Megatron turned and shot Skyfire twice, knocking him out of the air quickly. When he turned back he saw Ramjet, Skywarp, and Soundwave fall after him.

"Cursed female jet!" Megatron shot randomly, knocking Kickback into a tailspin. A few shots came at him: two o'clock, bouncing off of his head and giving him a target. No smoke. He must have missed. Sending the others ahead, Megatron waited for her to attack. Nothing. His scanners picked up a larger battalion, accompanied by Superion, approaching. Giving up on Mishap was a comfortable option.

"Nightbird! We are leaving!" He flew down and picked her up, like a human would scoop up a small cat. She thrashed in protest. "Fine! But that big, scary Autobot will make lunch out of you." She fell to the ground and made a break to evade Superion. With Skyfire down and some Autobots needing repair, the Aerialbots broke into two teams. Slingshot and Fireflight raced after Nightbird (Slingshot chanted that she could run but she could not hide) while Silverbolt and the others carried some of the Autobots back to base. Lyra had appeared in time to greet them and search for Skyfire, who slowly crawled out of the ocean, leg useless.

"I could carry you," she offered.

"That is a superfluous offer. I can transform." Skyfire demonstrated this perfectly. Lyra tagged behind him on the excuse that she wanted to make sure he was OK.

"You just can't get enough of me, can you?" he teased lightly. He did not smile, but the inflection in his voice, that sweet voice, made it sound playful.

"It's your amazing bond appeal." She hoped it didn't sound too close to the truth. Skyfire gave off such tranquil vibrations. She felt at home, at peace. Like before the war, when she and Mirage spent a lot of time doing whatever the economically elite did in those days. Their creator had been very wealthy, making robots for fun. He had spoiled them rotten. Her first few years as an Autobot had been a shock, with the rationing and constant fear and sorrow and paranoid underground activity. It was a cold, miserable, bloody existence. One that had followed the decimation of most of her family. Mirage and she swore to stay together forever, since they had lost so much. When she almost died, that vow had lost its life as well. Mirage and Lyra were barely ever in the same place together, and time with him was awkward. He acted like he didn't know her. Somehow, Skyfire did. He reminded her of a happier time. She had no idea how, but Lyra was grateful for it.

"I thought so." Skyfire's thoughts were with Starscream and his explanation of this odd female. He knew how badly she needed someone to shadow. It was in her programming. Starscream had commanded him to watch over her, at least until she turned back. This was where they disagreed. Lyra was unaware of the thought transference rows the two had over the Decepticon's plans. "Perhaps you can leave me unsupervised while I get repairs?" The prisoner would want a report from his captive anyway.

"Certainly." Lyra was embarrassed. "I'll-go find my brother." No, that couldn't be, he was out on patrol again. The life force inside of her warmly called. She would visit Starscream.

* * *

"He tried to free WHAT?" Starscream paced his cell furiously. "That over-grown Supersoaker! How DARE he try to replace me!" 

"Starscream!" Lyra repressed a giggle. She could feel his anger, but it was an amusing wrath. "He's probably trying to give you a jolt so that you'll escape and get back there! He needs you!"

The Seeker continued pacing but calmed down. "I should return to my ranks. Only...something is keeping me here..." He passed his hands through the energon bars and grabbed her hand, stroking her arm sweetly. Lyra returned the smile, happy to indulge such regard when elsewhere in this ark there was none. A pity that all good things from bad people must be stopped before they corrode you.

"I'm not letting you out." The hands retreated, making Lyra miss them, like the cool of the ark after the heat outside.

"I tried," he shrugged, sitting back down. There was a pause. "You are still visible. I thought that was dangerous."

"There's a shortage of Autobots due to the chase Nightbird is giving."

"Who's here?" he asked.

"A sufficient enough number." She had learned to never give him an answer he needed to hear.

"I see." He looked behind her. "Did you bring me any more energon?"

Lyra produced a huge pitcher. "I get away with a lot more when-I'm invisible." She really had to watch herself with him. Starscream appraised her quietly, an attractive half-smile casually on his lips. It broke her resolve. She couldn't stay in the room with him a moment longer or she would make the same mistakes she'd made when she was supposed to be spying on him. The panic was instantly soothed by his glancing away from her, as though she no longer had a strong light on her optics and now could adjust to the darkness.

She watched him consume it all and took the pitcher back, as well as all of the mugs he'd been stockpiling for her in subspace, before Mirage radioed her with the news that Nightbird had been lost, and to tell Bluestreak to initiate Phase 3.

"Why didn't your superior commission you?" Starscream asked as Lyra rose to execute her duties.

"My brother IS my superior," she woefully explained. "When those upstarts decided I would make a neat toy I lost everything I'd earned in my life as an Autobot soldier. Now, as an entrant I'm on the same level as the Dinobots."

Starscream shook his head. "Humiliating."

"Especially when I was the head of espionage before I left," she sighed.

"You did not leave."

Lyra stared. It was a correct statement. One she had tried not to make when she re-entered the Autobot force, to avoid sounding like a victim. Somehow, in her bid to be politically correct the semantics twisted, giving her language that suggested she willingly left the fold. Well, she _had_. She should have accepted a slow but dignified death, like other Autobots had, instead of caving to a brutal sadist. A brutal sadist that had the same smug expression Starscream had at this very moment as he observed her processing what he'd said. Lyra leaned closer to the bars.

"There are four Autobots here, not counting me, the medics, and the Dinobots. You are full of energy, safe, and no one will know what you've taken. I have now fulfilled my debt to you. Do what you have to do, just get out of here."

"It does not work that way, my peerless Mishap. Only _I_ decide when this debt is fulfilled. The Almighty Starscream requires more from you, as well as your competitor Nova."

"Nova? What are you doing to her?" Lyra stared, transfixed in astonishment.

"Nothing to make you jealous. You are still my favorite."

"You think this is a petty crush? I hate you!" she cried, enraged.

"Autobots give love. Decepticons take. Mishap cares for Starscream and Starscream rewards her with infrequent affection and timely repairs."

"Not any more." Lyra stormed out. "I'm not even supposed to be here!"

Starscream wished he was able to project false emotions to the life force in her, just for more fun. He had to console himself with a "Go ahead, OBEY, like a mindless drone...As THEY want you to!" to mess with her. So this was why Megatron did this, it _was_ amusing.


	9. Your heart and mine

"Give it up, ain't no use. I can help myself if I'd wanted to. I'm hung up, no doubt: I'm so in love with you, for me there's no way out. 'Cause deeper and deeper in love with you I'm falling. Sweeter and sweeter your tender words of love keeps calling..."

Barry White

"Whoa, amber is the color of your energy. Whoa, shades of gold displayed naturally. Launched a thousand ships in my heart, so easy. Still it's fine from afar, and you know that."

311

The day began at the lab the usual way. Lyra came into the room to see everyone hard at work, in an energon-frenzied pace rivaling a hive. No matter the workload, they always greeted each other as they walked in the room. Lyra found out that bringing in steaming mugs of energon to declare her entrance guaranteed her a more pleasant salutation.

Clunk. Perceptor's mug was empty; he was glad to get another. He had the microchip enlarger on its side for repairs. "Hi Lee." Her name was officially pronounced "Lie-ra" but nobody enunciated it as such. Cybertronian accents made it "Leer-a." Lee sounded better as a diminutive.

"Hi Percy."

Clunk. Grapple still had a semi-full mug. "'Morning, Lee."

"Good morning, Graps!"

Skyfire didn't look up, nor did he answer her greeting. He was scowling at the broken soldering iron. "Problem, Sky?" Plunk. Skyfire had no mug at all.

"None," the sweet, cantankerous scientist murmured. "Nothing I cannot repair."

"Right. So what am I helping you with today?" Lyra was still classified as an assistant. She mixed basic chemicals, retrieved objects, made deliveries, legitimized their reports before they e-mailed them to Optimus (made them a whole lot easier to read, might she add), and, of course...made the energon runs.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" That was a little disappointing. Lyra had begun to enjoy aiding him in his endeavors. That meant today she had to work with Grapple, who had too many verbal shortcuts and less patience; or Perceptor, who spent the whole time talking to her about the theory behind what she was doing instead of how to operate.

"Percy? Graps? Need help with anything?" Anywhere else but the lab they used their formal names.

"No," they chorused.

"Well, I guess I could...um..." Maybe she could study something.

"I need another sample of the material from Starscream's armor. Would you please retrieve another scraping for me?" Grapple handed her a test tube.

Perceptor looked up from the chip enlarger he was repairing. "Graps, she has been barred from the Detention Center until further notice."

"That does not alter the fact that I am without a sample. Besides, Starscream is overtly hostile to everyone but the femmes. I could not go near him. Go ahead, my dear." Lyra shuddered to be called that.

"No. She will not defy orders to circumnavigate your dread of Starscream. I will go." Skyfire took the tube and walked out.

"Is he all right?" Perceptor asked.

Grapple shrugged. "I didn't want him to see Starscream because they still don't speak."

"What happened?" Lyra demanded. "He won't tell me."

"Perhaps we are not authorized to reveal this tale."

"Please? Nobody else will elucidate." The shorter the nickname, the more time they had to try to outdo each other with big words. So far Perceptor dominated the group.

"I will," Grapple volunteered. He told a story similar to the one she had heard a distant dark night ago. Why had she never realized the name fit the description? He was Starscream's best friend!

Skyfire returned with the sample and a chore for Lyra: catalogue the data files by date, subject, and categories of war, energy, history, and etc.

"Sure." Lyra inwardly groaned. This could not be more TEDIOUS if Skyfire tried!

They tried to keep their conversation low, but spies have really good hearing when they want to. Skyfire was being told about Grapple's story.

"What did she say when you told her?"

"Nothing. I believe she had no idea."

"She should have. I told her we had once been colleagues."

"I do not know, Sky. She _is_ an odd one."

"That is an understatement," Perceptor snorted. "A pity-"

He never finished. There was a blasting noise, a whirring sound, silence, then chaos as they all started talking in an agitated fashion. Still no yelling, but enough of a storm to merit Lyra rushing out of her alcove. Seeing the mess, she radioed Optimus.

"No! He is unnecessary! We can fix this!" Skyfire was eye-level with Lyra. The others were worse. All were at least a third their normal size. Optimus arrived demanding they tried to make a damage report. He was glad they could not see his masked grin.

"What happened?" he asked.

"The chip enlarger engine malfunctioned," Perceptor explained.

"I'll say!" exclaimed the omnipresent Bumblebee, now looking straight at Grapple. "You're all the right size to me!"

"This is the first time I've ever looked up to you, Optimus!" Skyfire seemed mildly amused, now that the shock had worn off. "And right at...you." He uneasily shied away from Lyra quickly. Perceptor inspected the broken-down chip enlarger gingerly.

"Recall that the last employment of this chip enlarger on Autobots was a temporary situation; my inspection of this machine concludes the same hypothesis."

"And if we DO NOT naturally return to our normal selves?" Grapple demanded. His voice had not shrunk.

"Then you fix the chip enlarger to bring yourselves back," Prime supplied. "You have no need of me here. Lyra, I expect a report when this is over, e-mail it to me. Good luck." He hurried out of the room to keep from chortling in their presence.

"Wow. I wanted something to do today. I guess I got it." Lyra dragged a stool up for Perceptor to sit on. "Lead on, Percy."

"I need sustenance first." He looked hopefully at Lyra.

"I'm on my way," she sighed. This task was getting old fast.

* * *

By the end of the day there was no change. Perceptor refused to leave and denied any of the others a chance to stay longer, telling them to take some time off. Grapple was hiding in the sickbay with Hoist, afraid of the taunting he would get. Skyfire walked with Lyra outside, since Mirage was out on patrol again.

"I get the feeling Perceptor is eager to figure it out himself." Lyra commented. "You know, 'I got you into this mess, I'll get you out' type of thinking?"

"That is probably his rationale." Skyfire watched the sun slip behind the mountains as he spoke. He chuckled. "I enjoyed Prime finding humor in the situation."

"Yeah." It was so odd to have Skyfire her size. Their wings were a large impediment. Usually when Lyra walked this close to him she stopped before his wings began. Now her wings were brushing up against Skyfire's. His discomfort was palatable. Lyra decided it would be better to lance the boil than allow it to fester, so she ignored her sense of decorum and asked him why he was so upset about having to get a sample from Starscream. Immediately Skyfire's face clouded over. His whole body stiffened.

"We do not get along."

"I don't find that hard to believe. He WAS your closest companion, wasn't he?"

He nodded. "He has a choleric method of implementation." Lyra smiled to herself. The wording was Perceptor's. The explanation sounded like Starscream. "What has he told you concerning me?" All day Skyfire kept looking at her, realizing he was uncomfortable being at eye-level, glancing away, forgetting that he could meet her optics, turning back, etc.

"His version of everything. What has he told you about me?" she asked.

"His version of everything." The gentle white mech stared away from her again. "Why are we even talking about him?" he demanded, pace increasing slightly.

"Would you prefer a different subject?" So Skyfire was unfazed at her being a Decepticon. She was relieved that his perspective of her had not changed.

"Please."

"OK..." Lyra racked her brain. It had been a mistake to mention Starscream. She turned to face Skyfire. "What was the nicest planet you ever explored?"

"Jupiter. Why do you spend so much time with me?"

"Because you're fun, and the only one who doesn't hate me. Who's your best friend, and why?"

"Until recently, due to a disagreement, Cliffjumper, because he is not afraid to tell the truth. What is a harmless secret you have?"

"I'm afraid of the dark." That was a lie. Mirage was afraid of the dark. All right, she admitted, she was too. "What's the dumbest plan Megatron ever concocted?"

"He turned a human city into a nickel-plated dump. How did you know about the microchip enlarger?"

"Starscream had one. How do you have one?" They'd stopped walking; now they were having a staring contest. Rapid-fire mundane questioning had been a game Autobots played to better get to know somebody while keeping them preoccupied. It worked best when they were waiting for Ratchet to come and take a look at the wounded on the battlefield.

"I invented it. He probably copied mine. How can you cloak yourself for so long when Mirage can only stay invisible for six minutes?"

"My creator let me have it, and when he saw its potential for corruption he decided to limit the capacity on his newer model. What do you do when you're not in the laboratory?"

"Watch earth television." He stopped looking into her optics and thought about this. "I would love to fly more, but Optimus has us obeying earth fly zone laws. Where were you created?"

"Iacon. I had a wealthy creator obsessed with making dizygotic twins. My twin did not function properly, so he scrapped it and made Mirage out of it a few cycles later. He also made Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Who made you?"

Skyfire turned away. "This game is insipid."

Lyra was dismayed. She seemed to annoy the quiet scientist more than entertain him. Watching him unsteadily walk over the sandy terrain, still unaccustomed to the new, closer depth perception, Lyra felt apprehensive. Perhaps she should stay away from him for awhile. Even if he was the only part of the lab she liked. The other two still hadn't made her feel particularly welcome. "I am sorry," she called. She watched him walk a few paces more, ignoring her. "I think I'll go find Perceptor and see how he's doing." Lyra disappeared and hurried off before he could notice.

* * *

She was sitting on a rock, watching the sun rise the next morning when who she assumed was Bumblebee ran up to her. "Perceptor concluded that the machine has not cancelled out our shrinking, therefore he must repair it. We are coming up short yet another day."

Lyra looked at Grapple and tried to gauge his expression. Was that a joke? She wasn't sure. She slid off the rock, burning the cloud of thoughts out of her CPU like the sun would to fog.

"I'm right behind you."

"Not quite. Perceptor needs energon."

Lyra didn't sigh this time. "Grapple, if you guys want an energon dispenser in the lab, maybe you should take it up with Jazz. I'm really sick of being your transport. I thought I'd be learning something, becoming a scientist, but the lessons have tapered into oblivion and I spend more time doing busy work than _real_ work. Swoop said the same thing when I asked him about working there." She walked past the shrunken architect. "I'm asking for a re-assignment."

He caught up quickly, due to her slower gait. "I had no idea you felt that way," Grapple said, concerned.

"I didn't either." Not until last night. "You guys really are great. I'm just...disappointed. Nothing's changing."

"When this mess is cleaned up, I want all of us to discuss it with Perceptor so that we can find ways to make you feel more included in the laboratory. Until then, let me take you to med bay to help Hoist. You were requested to go there anyway, correct?"

The task Optimus Prime offered. "Yes." What choice did she have? Her other option was to haul energon for what seemed to be the ENTIRE day, between Starscream and Perceptor. Something had to change.

"Come along, I can radio Hoist for you."

* * *

Med bay proved to be her second limbo.

Her first task was inventory, since Ratchet couldn't think of a single thing to assign her. "I thought Perceptor was patronizing," she muttered to herself, a nasty habit she picked up before she moved back to Cybertron. "I forgot how superior DOCTORS thought themselves to be." She collected every single piece of medical equipment she could find, put it all on one table, and began making lists. "Never mind that I was a lieutenant, a spy, a master of slaves..." Luckily she was alone while Ratchet the others were bringing in the wounded from another ambush from the Decepticons. She was still under suspicion, forcing her to remain in the ark while everyone she knew was getting beaten into new alt modes. Lyra caught motion out of the corner of her eye and turned to the door to greet-

"Oh, hi." Sunstreaker, the front of the line returning victorious, halted in his tracks at the sight of Lyra knee-deep in soldering irons. She continued to talk o herself as he remained in his spot. Did any of them work? She should test them first. "The others will be back soon. Is there anything I can help you with?" Good Primus, this was a good-looking Autobot.

"No," he snorted, walking over to a cabinet by the wall. For the millionth time, Lyra had never seen a mech so beautiful.

"OK." Soldering iron #1 did not work. Numbers 2-16 did. Hmm, 17, 19, 27, 32 did not. Out of the corner of her optic Lyra watched her visitor. Sunstreaker worked his way up and down the wall until he came across a file cabinet that would not open.

"Is there a key for this?" he demanded.

"Probably. I don't know." This was a lie. Ratchet gave her the keys before he left, telling her they were for emergencies. Skyfire came in, looking for Sparkplug's favorite wrench.

"It's small enough to fit in an unattainable spot. Per-" He saw Sunstreaker glowering at the medical record cabinets. "-ceptor thought it a good idea to try anything. It is a Binford, 5/8 inches."

"That certainly is _anything_." She helped him look. At one point in time he had to go around the pillaging Sunstreaker in his search. Even when he made such sour faces, Sunstreaker was gorgeous. Skyfire was pleasing to the eye, Starscream was handsome, but this yellow mech was a work of art. Lyra was caught in wonder at his perfection. She was so lost in thought that she forgot something vital as she unlocked a tool chest with Ratchet's keys to check if the wrench was there.

"Well, I suppose it's not here. Can you ask Ratchet for me when he returns, Lyra?"

"Sure." Skyfire bid her goodbye and nudged past the yellow mech, who folded his arms and tilted his chin down in a more aggressive stance. Lyra ignored him, now singing to herself softly. If he was going to be completely rude to her and her friend, he could do it without an audience.

Soldering irons that worked were to be put away in the cupboards on the other side of the room. Lyra grabbed an armful. Could they be stacked? It seemed feasible. They were a little slippery, falling when not stacked properly. It took longer than she anticipated, and more concentration than usual. When they were properly stacked Lyra closed the cupboard door and turned around to be face-to-face with Sunstreaker.

Leaning his exquisite head over until he was nose to nose with her, he placed his hands on the counter behind his target, locking her in between his arms. Panicking, Lyra sat on the counter. He closed in for the kill by forcing her knees to open and leaving her nowhere to run to. "I want those keys," he commanded darkly. This forced intimacy, a bully's tactic, angered Lyra. It reminded her of her old boss. Well, she would do that last thing he expected her to do. Or the first; he had an ego. She kissed him.

Instead of pulling away and swearing at her, as she hoped he would, Sunstreaker milked this for all it was worth. So he had an ego. Maybe he had expected this. He was pressing down while she pressed up, his tongue tickling the roof of her mouth. Lyra felt sorry for Nova, Sunstreaker was a messy kisser. To heighten the sensation, the female disappeared. A certain other recipient of her affections liked it when she did that. This Autobot must too, she heard him make a satisfied noise.

Ratchet burst into the room, yelling orders at anyone in the vicinity. First Aid ran around the room, hollering back. Sunstreaker jumped away from the counter in shock.

"Sunstreaker! Where's Lyra!"

Lyra came out of the next room, datapad in hand. "Hi Ratchet. Hi Sunstreaker. What happened?"

Ratchet scowled. "Andromeda is dragging Brawn over here. Stubborn little diode wouldn't ride with us, even though he can't transform."

"Brawn's the type who will never die," Andromeda commented as she and the patient slowly limped in.

"Don't you forget it!" Brawn heaved himself on the table. "Let's get this over with, guys."

Ratchet, still in loud mode, turned to the blue female. "Get over here! Sunstreaker, why are you still lurking?"

"I need another shot of your premium lube."

"AGAIN! You go through that stuff like there's no tomorrow!" He scowled in defeat. "It's in Wheeljack's lab. Lyra! Front and center!"

Sunstreaker hurried over to Wheeljack's corner, where a small container of oil (Pennsylvania's finest) stood on the counter. The pile of datapads beside it caught his attention when he noticed the name on the top. "I guess it _wasn't_ locked up." He pocketed it in subspace and hurried to find Nova.

* * *

By the end of her shift Lyra was beat. What a day! Sunstreaker arrived to ask for oil and started a snarling match leading to a BIG mistake, Ratchet snapped at her the whole day, Hoist was no help at all...and in the midst of it she had to accompany Wheeljack and Ratchet to inspect why Starscream continued to thrive on no supplies.

"His oil pressure's nominal, his energon rating is low, but nowhere near where it should be..." Ratchet was annoyed. Conundrums only further incensed him. "Why don't you deteriorate?" he demanded the silent Seeker.

"Only the good die young, Auto-fool," he sneered. Mishap was taking another sample of his protective coating while she secretly left him a mug and leaned over to do her most daring.

"I've missed you," she whispered in his audios as Wheeljack and Ratchet argued a few meters from them. For extra daring she allowed a hand to caress the underside of his wing, the one facing away from the quibbling mechs. He stared off into space. "What?"

"What do you want me to do, sweep you into my arms and kiss you?" Shocked, she felt the irk come off of him like a wave on the beach, hitting her. "I'll leave that for your boyfriend."

"My what?" She sensed him thinking he'd said too much. Did Nova tell him what she did to Sunstreaker?

"Nothing. Bring me decent-tasting energon the next time you come here." The amused contempt said it best. Why was she here? Lyra had no business with Starscream, no right to be here. She was disobeying orders, aiding and abetting the enemy, and her reward was impudent disdain. She got up and walked out of the room, ignoring the two quarreling medics and the ever-watchful Cliffjumper, who noticed the mug of energon she left behind.

* * *

That evening Skyfire, after having another staring contest with Starscream, headed to his chambers to watch his newest edition of "Neon Genesis Evangelion." He discovered Lyra at her brother's door, morosely hugging her knees while she sat on the floor like a dog awaiting her master's return.

"Has anyone seen you here?" Skyfire whispered, anxiously looking about.

"Only Bluestreak. He lives across the hall." Lyra gestured to the door where sounds of metal clattering could be heard. Skyfire peered down at her, making her uneasy. This was bad enough without him here to witness it. "It's no big deal." If there was one thing Lyra could not stand doing, but seemed to constantly do, it was look like a victim. Primus, she hated being a hypocrite.

"Get up, this is a good way to get people talking about your iconoclastic operatives even more than usual." Lyra allowed him to pull her up, lead her down the hall, and almost throw her into his room.

Skyfire's chamber did not have the typical orange walls as the rest of the ark did. It was part of the expansion Grapple came down from Cybertron to build. Skyfire had a large room with a recharge plate and a television. That was all standard issue Autobot fare; the TV was an extension of Teltraan-1. The charge plate dominated the room. There was nowhere else to sit. Lyra plopped on the corner nearest to the door and folded her hands on her lap. Her optics skimmed the layout of the room, trying to find something conversational.

"You have a big place." Brilliant. Five million years in Cybertonium pits had done wonders for her social skills.

"Up until a few days ago, I was a big mech."

"Do you like being smaller?"

"No." A long awkward pause. Skyfire asked her to stand on his shoulders to reach into the cupboard he had on his wall and withdraw two glasses and a bottle of pure ethanol. She looked at the liquid suspiciously.

"What does that do?" she asked, pouring.

"Nothing much. It cleans out your system a little, mostly it's harmless." His fingers grazed hers as he accepted the glass. Lyra was fascinated by his hands. They were perfect scientist's hands: agile, flexible joints, soft white. Still smaller than they were used to being, but the white mech adapted well. She'd rather inspect his hands than see his optics, which were right now searching her intently. "Lyra...you have to stop obsessing over him."

"Over who?" She was not going to aid his inquisition.

Skyfire chickened out. "Your brother."

"I don't obsess."

"Why were you waiting by his chamber door for his return?"

She sighed. "I have nowhere else to go." It was true. Perceptor had kicked them out of the laboratory again, Optimus had ordered that no one go outside until Nightbird was found, and the rest of the ark was awash with hostile Autobots.

"You can always come here." He crawled behind her and folded his legs, pulling her onto his lap. His front-end bulk moved forward suddenly, causing her to fall away from him, sloshing the remainder of her drink. Skyfire snorted. "This was different from the way I pictured it."

"You were bigger," she laughed, as she turned to regard him, and something made her double-take. "You _are_ bigger." He grew a size larger as she watched. "You're growing!" He knocked her off the recharge plate as he enlarged.

Skyfire gasped. "I am!" He was his normal size in less than five minutes. He eagerly grabbed Lyra's hands, hauling her off the floor. "To the laboratory!"

Lyra ran as fast as she could to allow Skyfire to pull her along with minimal hassle. Skyfire bolted down to the laboratory, where they ran in to accost a dancing, full-sized Perceptor.

"It worked!" he yelled jubilantly to them.

"It worked!" they hollered back. All three jumped up and down in the air, cheering.

"Where is Grapple? He should be with us." Skyfire asked.

"Still incognito at the med bay, I would venture." Perceptor ran out of the lab. "Accompany me!" He was hooting and hollering most uncharacteristically as he galloped away. Lyra and Skyfire shrugged and did likewise.

Skyfire continued to drag Lyra down the hall as they passed by Optimus and Mirage. Mirage was back from patrol, reporting. Both pressed themselves against the wall as the flurry of scientific celebration whirled past.

"Lyra! What's going on?" called Mirage, amused.

"Everything's back to normal!" she shouted back.

"As normal as can be expected," Mirage said, trying to recover from the blur that had passed by.

Optimus chuckled. "Affirmative."

* * *

Ratchet tried not laugh at the disheveled group, especially Perceptor. "He's in Hoist's maintenance alcove."

"Great!" All three took off, squealing.

Perceptor skidded around the corner and halted. His face fell. Lyra and Skyfire peeked inside the doorway. Lyra gasped.

The noise caused Hoist and Grapple to pull apart from their passionate embrace. Hoist rashly reached for his faceplate as Grapple hurried to the door. "Hello," he acknowledged breathlessly. "I see you've returned to normal."

"We did," Skyfire returned uneasily. No one met the yellow architect's optics. "I see you have as well."

"We thought we would share the moment with you," Lyra added, composure deteriorating.

"Well, thank you." Hoist came over to congratulate Perceptor.

"How did you fix it?"

"I had to rewire a few circuits." Normally Perceptor would have a long-winded diatribe, but he was still taken aback from seeing the two mechs kissing. "I don't know about you, but I could use a congratulatory drink. Skyfire, do you still have that trove of ethanol?"

"Yes...yes, I do. Let's go over to my room and make a toast."

"Good idea," Hoist agreed in his silky accent. "We will join you in a few moments."

Lyra, Skyfire, and Perceptor hurried up to Skyfire's room. They barely made it out of earshot before Lyra started laughing. The other two joined her almost immediately.

"I am telling NO ONE about this." Perceptor guffawed. It was difficult for him to comprehend that the only two Autobots considered as stuffy as he was would ever give in to a moment of passion, no matter the reason. Relief, disbelief, and mischief mixed together and the three leaned against a wall for support.

"Agreed," said Skyfire, practically doubled over. Hoist and Grapple knocked on the door and entered, forcing them to calm themselves. There were big grins as Skyfire poured the beverages. "To Perceptor."

"To Perceptor!" Lyra looked around the relieved Autobots until her optics rested on Skyfire's, causing her to smile. These scientists, rejects in their own encampment, so dissimilar to each other, connected together as they relived the whole event for Hoist's benefit. It was completely communal. She was, for a brief, happy moment, at home.


	10. What's wrong and right

"Sister I miss you. Entwined, you and I: our souls speak from across the miles. Intertwined, you and I. Our blood flows from the same inside. Half of me breathes in you. Thoughts of love remain true ."

The Nixons

"I see you standing in the alleys and the hallways. Wait a second, you're gone now. I run to touch you but you vanish through the doorway. And oh how hard it is to live without you. I love everything about you. Now I know you're really gone, but my imagination is so strong. That I see you coming into view and your face is telling me that you: Oh yeah oh, want to be by my side. Oh yeah oh, now it's finally time. -Wait a second-Mirage, that's all you are to me. Mirage, something I only see."

Tommy James and the Shondells

Mirage pleaded with Optimus. "They have had her buried down there for so long I've forgotten what she looks like! Can I just take Lyra out on patrol with me; maybe show her the new Autobot City site?"

Optimus looked up from his e-mail. Reports were the same: no new Decepticon activity. This unnerved him more than usual. Why weren't they coming for Starscream? Why wasn't he trying to leave? Where was Nightbird? The Aerialbots' pursuit ended when their objective disappeared right before their eyes. There was no trace of her. Optimus had boosted security to a near anxiety-attack level, telling EVERYONE to be on the alert no matter where they were. Things were getting stuffy in the ark. All Autobots worked overtime. Optimus had reinforced this by doubling patrol teams, rearranging shifts, and minimizing leisure time, promising a BIG party when this was all over. Whenever that was. He tried to think of anything to keep the Autobots from stagnating. Mirage's proposal screamed 'security breach' but the fewer whiney Autobots lingering in the ark the better. (They weren't the only ones feeling tense.)

"Go ahead. Take a few others, too." He turned back to his e-mails. Jazz's report was disquieting, expressing concern over the cliques that were forming the longer the females stayed on earth. Some hostilities had become overt-

"Sure. Powerglide and Moonracer want to come." He should have been thinking of Sideswipe and Andromeda, but Moonracer had already voiced a desire to see the site.

"Proceed. Watch out for any Decepticon activity."

"Thank you, sir." Mirage raced into the lab. "Hi guys," he greeted. "Where's Oasis?"

Perceptor looked up from the blaster he was working on. "She was here a moment ago..." he glanced at Skyfire. The white mech looked up from the equation he was working on the databoard.

"You are right. Where is she?" The lab was large but relatively uncluttered. There was no place to hide, so obviously she was not there.

Mirage sensed her walking into the room, and turning his head, he saw her appear over by a table. She picked up two beakers.

"Oasis?" She jumped. Her face reflected the blunder. "Where were you?"

"I had to take a walk," she mumbled guiltily. "Sometimes this place is stuffy."

He decided to not worry about it. "Guess what! Prime gave me permission to take you to the new Autobot City site in Oregon."

"Really?" Her odd behavior melted away in their mutual delight.

"You, me, Powerglide, Moonracer, and Nova got permission to go. It'll be a blast!"

Lyra tried to hide the disappointment of having to go with an incongruous group. "When do we leave?"

"Nova's shift ends at four. We're meeting outside of the ark." He left to tell the others. "See you then!"

Perceptor smiled. "That will be lovely. Oregon is a beautiful state."

Lovely? "Can you do without me here?" she asked sweetly.

"No. You'll have a mountain of work to do when you return." Grapple put in. "I'll pile it in this corner for you. Until then, we'll try to survive." He did have a sense of humor, he just disguised it pretty well. Lyra supposed the more time you spent with him the more you detected the dryness of it.

"Thanks!" She was relieved they had bought her lame excuse to go see Starscream. These excursions were costing her dearly.

* * *

Mirage, Nova and Moonracer were speeding up the highway as fast as they could go. Lyra and Powerglide flew low above them. This place they called 'Oregon' vastly differed from the desert the ark was in. Colder. Humidity covered them like smoke. Mountains huddled together for warmth. Muted greens and blues and grays everywhere she looked. Huge pine trees loomed over them to block out the semi-translucent sunlight. Perceptor labeled it 'Lovely.' Lyra called it dark. 

"Lyra, watch this!" Powerglide was not one to hold grudges. He assumed her blowup was caused because she was under a lot of stress. He'd respectfully left her alone since, assuming he had upset her somehow and didn't want to repeat it. Powerglide loved outings, especially when he now had a friend there to share the fun of flying with him. Besides, he couldn't help showing off. He sped up to the bridge above the highway and looped over it, barely grazing the concrete before he passed under it.

"Holy smoke!" she radioed.

"Try it!"

The next overpass she attempted. Her loop was not as tight as his, but not bad. Mirage sped up and called something to his sister.

"No way!"

"It'll be fun!" Her brother was in rare form, excited from Optimus' announcement that the females might take a few volunteers back to Cybertron with them. He wanted to be the first to volunteer.

Lyra consented to his request, and Mirage gunned his motor. A ramp was left on the highway by construction workers on their break. He hit the ramp full force, letting out an urbane "Yeee-haaa!" Lyra swooped down as he transformed and let him land on top of her, feet first, arms out, looking like he was surfing. They flew for a few moments like this, neither saying anything but both grinning, until Mirage was aware of her lifting him higher into the sky and protested. Lyra tried not to giggle. He would be safely deposited on the highway soon enough. They were laughing, while he exclaimed that the precipitation would make her a lousy pilot and he feared his for his life over thirty meters. She argued that the sky was cloudy but not rainy, but gently lowered him down to earth anyway. As he waited for his friends to catch up he asked her what she thought of Oregon. SH elide and said it was nice. Her sensors smelled pine trees, animals, car exhaust...and something else that at first she could not identify. Then it hit her, like her first day on earth.

"The space bridge is here!" she cried as Nova and company pulled up.

"What?" Powerglide demanded, staying in his alternate mode.

"When it warps Decepticons over from Cybertron, it burns carbon. I can smell it!"

"Why would they put the space bridge in the middle of a place with inconstant weather?" Moonracer challenged.

Mirage held his arms out. Lyra allowed him to climb aboard and she ascended deaf to the protests of Nova and Moonracer.

"She's doing it for attention," Moonracer snorted. "Powerglide, do you smell carbon?"

"No, but I wasn't created for spyin'." He transformed and bade the ladies to do the same. "You know, we're on the wrong side of this mountain to see the base site. We can walk over to get a better look." The mountain was not too high. To stay with the group Powerglide climbed with them, listening to the gossip.

"I broke up with Sunstreaker."

"No! Why?" gasped Moonracer.

"He told me another femme kissed him."

"That glitch!"

"No, I don't blame her. I mean, who can resist him?" she smiled at that. She never really liked him that much anyway; he was just somebody to talk to while Moonracer was making out with Powerglide. He was trying to take the credit for all of the digging and mudslinging she had worked on even before he REMEMBERED Lyra was here. "What upset me was that he's taken a pet project of mine as his own personal...I don't know, _quest_, and he won't rest until-" She stumbled over a rock. "Ouch!"

"Are you all right?" Moonracer asked, concerned. Nothing looked torn.

"Sorry, I was more surprised than hurt." Nova stood up. As they started up the hill, the sound of jets flying low overhead shook the air hard enough to cause them to duck.

"Decepticons!" cried Powerglide. He radioed Mirage. "Mirage! Come in!"

"Mirage here. We found out what the Decepticons are up to." He sounded weak.

"Are you OK there, buddy?"

"I got shot. Lyra and I separated, and the Seekers are out to find us. Lay low until it's safe."

Nova looked at Moonracer, panicked. "If they get us, they will kill us!"

"All we have to do is lay low." Powerglide explained. "Decepticons are not that great as scouts, unless it's one of Soundwave's tapes." He gestured to a particularly thick patch of pine trees. "Get in there. Luckily you're not that obvious." Powerglide picked up soil from the recent rainstorm and covered his bright-red paint. Nova and Moonracer helped. Under the dense growth and fading sun, Nova could barely make out the shapes ahead of her. Nature made a great deal of noise, until it got too dark to see; then it was silent. Nova saw nothing as she crouched in the mud, heard nothing, wondered where her friends were. The suspense was killing her. She did not even dare whisper their names.

A low-flying jet cruised above them. The engine made a great deal of noise. It sounded like more than one. Nova heard shots.

Powerglide groaned as he hit the ground. Moonracer gasped.

"Don't move!" she called to Nova as the green and yellow female made a break for it. She had to divert them from Moonracer! Transforming, she raced down the mountain, bouncing on the rocks that had tripped her earlier, breaking her front axle. Laser shots rang out around her as she tried to dodge them. She flew off of a smoother rock that jutted out over the hill, soaring as Mirage did. Turning as she went, she transformed again to do what she did best.

Nova's primary function was the ability to rapid-fire shoot her opponent to conflagration. It burned a lot of energon, but was worth the exertion. She opened fire on a confused Thundercracker the minute her metal back collided with the open highway ten meters below her takeoff point.

"What the-" Thundercracker had no time to say anything else. He was being scalded. "Look out, Skywarp!" he cried before he crash-landed.

"Too late!" She yelled at him, blasting the purple Seeker to Kingdom Come. The jet fell.

"Nova?" A voice from nowhere caused her to reposition her weapon while turning to aim behind her.

"Don't shoot!" Mirage materialized in front of her gun. Nova relaxed. "Where are Powerglide and Moonracer?"

"Up the mountain. Powerglide's been shot."

Mirage sighed. "I radioed Prime. He's sending Skyfire to pick us up." His arm was leaking. Nova stood up, motioning for him to sit on the highway and rest. He shook his head. "We have to get the others and move again, before the Coneheads get us. Oasis is trying to distract them until we get away."

Nova pulled Mirage up the mountainside. "What happened out there?"

We were over the site and Oasis wanted to get a closer look. Out of nowhere, someone started firing at us. She moved, but not fast enough. I got _this_," he motioned his shoulder. "We both disappeared, and she dropped me so I could get away. From my spot I was right by the biggest post for a spacebridge I have ever seen since-"

"Since the day the Decepti-goons tried to bring Cybertron into earth's orbit?" Powerglide was limping down the hill on Moonracer's shoulder. Nova hurried up to help her.

"Exactly." He looked at his flying friend. "What happened?"

"Some stray ricochets got my foot."

"Ouch."

"How did they come over here? No one can see us, it's night, we were in the underbrush, and Powerglide's covered in mud!" Moonracer's brow furrowed.

"I don't know," Mirage said, listening in the distance.

"I'll bet Lyra knows." Nova supposed.

"Shh! Get down again!" They scattered.

The Coneheads roared their way past them. They were blasting the blue jet ahead of them. Silence followed. Mirage refused to move. Silence continued. Another noise, a jet different from the other Decepticons roared overhead, stopping when a transforming noise replaced it.

"You may turn off your homing beacon, Mirage," murmured Skyfire. "The Decepticons are gone."

"Where did they go?" Nova asked as the carrier jet led them to a more open area."

"Last I saw, they were chasing Lyra southwards."

"Is she OK?" asked Mirage.

"She'll be fine," Moonracer assured him as they climbed into Skyfire. "We'll all be fine, as soon as we get out of here."


	11. We're strange allies with warring hearts

"Do what you wanna do. Go out and seek your truth when I'm down and blue. Rather be me than you. Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven Beside you-Hell within. Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven Beside you-Hell within. And you wish you had it still, Heaven inside you. So there's problems in your life, that's f---ed up, but you're not blind. You're just see-through, faded. Overrated, and out of your mind."

Alice in Chains

"I wonder how it's going to be? When you don't know me. How's it going to be? When you're sure I'm not there. How's it going to be? When there is no one to talk to, between you and me. 'Cause I don't care. How's it going to be?"

Third Eye Blind

Lyra came into the ark while Mirage and Moonracer gave their report. The giant space bridge, Lyra opined in a transmission to her brother, would be used to bring Cybertron back. They'd done it before, they could do it again.

"Lyra! Prahme wants t' see ya!" Ironhide had performed his task. Now he could go watch "Christine" with Jazz and Prowl. She hurried in to greet a solemn pair waiting for her.

"We need to hear your report," Elita-1 said after proper greetings were given.

"Sure...I smelled carbon, which burns whenever the space bridge is used, so Mirage and I went to investigate-"

"Stop right there. How do you know what the space bridge smells like?" Elita-1 was apparently taking over this debriefing. Lyra tried not to look to Optimus Prime for support.

"When we used the space bridge."

"Which leads to the query as to how you know so much about the space bridge? Your extensive knowledge of Decepticon trivia is one thing you do not brag about, but continues to amaze me upon its unveiling." Elita-1 stood up and walked to Teletraan. Pushing a button, a scene unfolded in which an invisible mug of energon was offered to Starscream. When he finished drinking it, someone suspended another in front of him. And so forth. Lyra swallowed hard.

"This is circumstantial evidence," she supplied. "But in a time of elevated security, it calls for, minimally, justification. Would you like to explain it?"

"No." She allowed a peek at the large mech in the room. Optimus' head tilted questioningly. He would fulfill his promise, no matter where it took her.

"Would you like to account for how the Decepticons knew where to find your cohorts in the midst of a wild forest? Powerglide was shot."

"He was?" This was news to her. "Is he OK?"

"He's repaired already." Elita-1 waved it away. "There is a reason for my queries. You came from out of nowhere with no history. The only people who vouch for you knew you when you were called 'Oasis.' Yet you do not respond to that name. Moonracer, who has been watching you closely, as well as Nova-" She scowled at Lyra's snort. "Actually, everyone who knows you believes something is different about you. Your recent behavior reinforces it. There is enough inferential evidence to lead us to conclude that you are a Decepticon spy."

"WHAT!" Now Lyra looked at Prime. He shook his head. "I am an Autobot! I have pledged my allegiance to you and Optimus Prime until my death! _I am an Autobot_! I have been since my creation"

"_Oasis_ was an Autobot. Oasis died an Autobot. I have no idea who _you_ are. Perhaps you are parts of her revamped for Decepticon use. Perhaps you were programmed to BE Oasis. The fact is, whoever you are, you are a threat to us." She pressed a button and Skyfire came in, looking sorry. "Until you are ready to explain yourself, or prove you are an Autobot, I must put you in a holding cell."

"No! Optimus! Elita, I-" Skyfire picked her up and slung her over his shoulder while she continued to shriek. Several Autobots stopped what they were doing to watch, including Sideswipe, Andromeda, and Nova.

"If you would like to avoid embarrassment, I suggest you disappear." She obeyed. This was mortifying enough as it was. Skyfire remained silent as he carried her to the detention unit. She materialized in time to pass Starscream. He didn't seem surprised. Lyra felt his amusement. Skyfire set her down, walked to the edge of the cell to turn on the energon bars, and gave her a sad look.

"Why did you do it?"

Lyra sighed. "Word travels fast." She looked up to see he was serious. "I owe him my life."

"Starscream gives life to anyone who suits his purpose," Skyfire bitterly reminded her.

"And they always turn on me!" the Seeker screeched.

Skyfire ignored him. "You're hoping he'll soften because you were so good to him."

"No." Yes.

"You wanted to bond to him, even though he would never be an Autobot any more than you would be a Decepticon."

"No." Yes.

"Excellent. It will not bother you that he's already bonded to someone, making him out of your reach for the rest of your existence."

"NO!" She disappeared again at this knowledge. Starscream remained reticent. Lyra picked up a hesitant expectation, as though he were waiting for something.

"Yes. Now will you tell Elita-1 the truth?"

"You forget Skyfire, I have been put in this place on the suggestion of something that is almost true." She re-emerged as she admitted defeat. "If I confess, what's the difference? I'm still a former Decepticon, making me suspect. What does not help is a great deal of evidence suggesting that I was a somewhat loyal Decepticon, until I came to earth. I helped Starscream, enforcing their assumptions. Nobody I once knew recognizes me. I might as well be what they think. They are similar." There was also a far darker secret, one she would never admit. Telling even one person would ruin her far more than the most malicious rumor.

The jet's eyes darkened. "We shall see." He strode out of the cell and radioed Optimus and Bumblebee.

Bumblebee leapt into the room to take Skyfire's place ten minutes later.

"Will you take over my guard duty while I speak to Prime about something important?"

"Sure!" He was endless enthusiasm. "Starscream's no-whoah!" He saw Lyra. "What are YOU in here for?"

"Littering." She may be losing her sanity but Lyra was determined to keep her sense of humor.

Skyfire gave Starscream a long stare. "I shall return."

Silence. Bumblebee inserted a CD in to his player and turned his audios off to tune them out.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Starscream did not respond. She felt the channeling of unapologetic triumph. "That's right. You got what you wanted, what does it matter now?"

"That is the first intelligent thing you've uttered since I met you," Starscream shifted his weight, still not inured to his position. These cells were very uncomfortable.

"You told Nova about me, too. You told her to go with us and then you radioed Megatron where we were."

"Actually, no. Nova radioed Megatron herself."

"Oh dear Primus." She hid her head in her hands. She'd been replaced, with the last female they'd ever expect. No one would believe her, either.

"Why are you doing this?" she hissed at him.

"Doing what?" he smirked.

She was NOT going to play his games. "I will cut my chord right now and DIE before I see you take another victim." She pounded the wall he leaned against to show she was not joking. Starscream was bored. Bumblebee looked up, audios still off, and asked if she was planning a jailbreak. Lyra smiled and shook her head.

"Did you really think that? Too bad...Like you, she cannot stay away from me." Lyra struggled to keep from screaming in frustration. "Like you, she will betray all she stands for to help me." He enjoyed her angry silence as he settled down on the floor of his prison, trying not to laugh too much at the jamming yellow Autobot who did not listen to them communicate. He decided to pour salt on the wound. "Like you, she is _disposable_."

* * *

Optimus visited her while she sat on the floor and tried to get the feelings Starscream projected into her out. 

"Skyfire came in to communicate."

That was something Skyfire would do. She could already imagine what he said. This was unfair, she WAS Oasis, if anyone knew about turning to the Autobots, it was he, he'd spent time with her, they were good friends, there was a reason behind her defiance, etc. "I made a mistake Optimus. I'm sorry."

He crouched down next to her, ignoring Starscream's taunts on the other side of the wall to come over and fight. "Lyra, what is going on?"

"What do you mean?" She would not make this easy.

"Disobeying orders, refusing to explain yourself, erratic behavior with Nova and Sunstreaker, you made Mirage cry-"

"I did?" That baby! Too bad he didn't come here to do it that would have been worth seeing. She caught Optimus' glare. He continued.

"There are many things you haven't told me, such as why you allow this loyalty to Starscream control your actions to the point of insubordination...even treachery."

She sighed. She was afraid it would come to this. Starscream, who had been listening the whole time, smiled broadly. She felt it.

"Go on, Mishap, explain. Tell him how you belong to me!"

She did.

It was said that almost nothing ever visibly upset Optimus, unless the enemy was threatening his troops. This particular information was no exception. He calmly listened to her tale of being a Decepticon long enough to despair her being recovered, of relating to the Seeker on a level she'd never expected, of how he had not only repaired her but given her some of his life force, a connection that could not be disregarded not matter which faction she belonged to. She regretted not being more loyal to their cause, and she knew the trouble Starscream had gotten everyone in, and how he had already bonded with another, but ignoring the one who had given her so much seemed more treacherous than anything else. If she could have seen Starscream's expression, she might have chosen her words carefully, instead of treating Optimus like her own personal Atticus Finch.

"I see," was all he said, faceplate conveying nothing, optics a blue fire. That was unsettling. Lyra waited for him to say more. He didn't. He got up, walked away, and waved to the doorway where a grave-faced Seaspray waited. He saw Optimus' motion to follow and obeyed.

Starscream gave out waves of panic that Lyra could feel, like waves off of a battle ship. "What else has Skyfire revealed in my absence?"

"That was all he said," she replied. "If you want to know if he gave a name to your beloved femme: no, he didn't."

Relief came in next, like balm over a wound. Lyra was annoyed. She resented the life force constantly absorbing his emotions. "I really hate this emotional antenna you gave me."

"Good. I want it back."

"What?"

Starscream leaned out of his bars and twisted himself to see her expression. "I'm taking my life force back."

"But I'll die!"

"You were fine with that right after you were arrested!" Lyra tried to look him in the optics as he retreated and failed. The bars were burning her circuits. He waited for her to give up. "If not, Nova has already turned. I can use hers."

"No!" This time Lyra felt her own panic. As much as Lyra disliked that femme, she could not allow that to happen. That was when everything fell apart. Moonracer came in to taunt the newest prisoner.

"I heard you got arrested!" She exclaimed, smugly.

"No, I'm in here because I wanted to get away from annoying Autobots," Lyra snarled.

Starscream snorted. "That didn't work."

Moonracer stopped mid-gallop to sneer at the Air Force Commander. "Keep it up, buddy. We know all about your stupid space bridge. Nova's got you all wrong, and I can't wait to see you mess up with her."

"That will come sooner than you anticipate!" Starscream finally decided to use the coating on his armor to walk through the energon bars. Moonracer tried to radio for backup, reaching for her weapon. She shot at Starscream, who ignored the blasts and, laughing hysterically at Lyra trying to get through the bars and shorting herself out, took off with his hostage.


	12. You went off like a devil in a church

"There's battle lines being drawn. Nobody's right, if everybody's wrong. Young people speaking their minds. Getting so much resistance from behind. I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down."

Buffalo Springfield

"Well you couldn't be that man I adored. You don't seem to know, don't seem to care what your heart is for. But I don't know him anymore. There's nothing where he used to lie, my conversation has run dry. That's what's going on, nothing's fine I'm torn."

Natalie Imbruglia

Optimus had Seaspray follow him to the main room, talking as he went. "Be prepared for an oceanic assault at anytime," he warned the naval commander. "Our prisoner has been here long enough gathering intelligence and will more than likely plan a break now that his main informant is incarcerated. If Starscream kidnaps her, we have a limited amount of time before Megatron figures out we know his plans." He walked into Teletraan's main computer room to see a large group of furious Autobots. Optimus inwardly groaned. Now what?

"Prahme," began Ironhide, "Ah think we need t' git rid of our pris'ners."

"Which ones?" They only had two; Optimus hoped that by spelling out their irrational desires they would realize they were being ridiculous.

Sunstreaker had experienced this method of leadership before. He stepped in front of the red mech. "You know which ones, Optimus. Both are a danger to this outfit! Lyra is nothing but a lying, two-faced Decepticon!"

"We caught 'er fratinizing with tha enemy!" Ironhide gestured to Teletraan-1's surveillance camera showing tape of her giving Starscream energon. Autobots started yelling over each other to air their grievances concerning Lyra. She was so unfriendly, a suspiciously good spy, spent all her time in the lab, probably making something to destroy us, the females hated her, Sunstreaker was SURE she was a Decepticon-

"We have her composition records from Wheeljack's lab!" yelled Sunstreaker, shoving the datapad in Optimus' face. This had not been authorized. Prime tried to catch Wheeljack's optics, but he could not find him in the mass. He was also startled to see Prowl here. "She's not technically an Autobot! Just a mess of parts!" The shouting escalated to a terrifying shriek of hysteria.

Optimus had enough. He was tired of his crew using parsimonious excuses to riot when they were restless. This was the same process he went through when the Dinobots were created, when Mirage was suspected of double-siding (must run in the family), and when Megatron had been silent for four months and everyone ganged up on Gears over some stupid comment he'd made. It was time to put a stop to this.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed, using volume to stop everyone cold. He glared, optics conveying enough disapproval to make anyone he contacted with squirm, except for Sunstreaker. Optimus held his gaze on the arrogant mech as he uttered his verdict: "Not technically an Autobot? Like Autobot Spike? Like those around here who have had to use other parts for repairs, since we couldn't get back to Cybertron to get originals?" Here Sunstreaker's resolve wavered slightly. "The only sin I've seen her commit is loyalty to a being she owes her life."

Sunstreaker managed to ignore the surprise element of that statement and turn it against Prime. "She's a Decepticon, no matter what she says now. We never show mercy to Decepticons, and if we do we're traitors."

Prime addressed the crowd. "You heard him! Showing mercy, especially to a lowly Decepticon, is perfidy! Who rescued Skyfire? You are traitors. Pacifists, medics, scientists, you are traitors! When I didn't grind Shawn Berger under my feet, I was a traitor! It appears that the only mech who is without sin in this case...is YOU." He turned back to staring down Sunstreaker. "Go ahead. Stone an innocent Autobot. Because that is what she is, and when you do that, it will make everything ALL better." Optimus handed Sunstreaker his own blaster out of subspace, punctuating his sarcasm by placing it in the Lamborghini's hand with more force than necessary.

Sunstreaker scowled. "I know what you're doing," he growled. "I resent it. You know more than you're telling, and you're not doing what I think is right."

"Duly noted in the minutes." Optimus said, still gazing at the bright yellow mech piercingly. "Now go kill a defenseless teammate in her holding cell merely because you don't like her. The rest of us have a war to attend to. Autobots, be ready for an attack before the end of the week. We found out what the Decepticons are up to." He dismissed the confused mob. Optimus held back Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide, Chromia, and Elita-1. Noticing Sunstreaker was still standing in the same place Prime had left him, looking indecisively at the gun, the Autobot leader herded his meeting into a smaller conference room. The door closed behind him with a satisfying bang that seemed to tell Prime that Sunstreaker's sense of righteousness toward one being would never outweigh the desire to smite Decepticons first. The news of impending battle would divert him. Should he consider this farce of regulation real, Optimus had the Aerialbots in the room by the detention area radioed to be on the alert. Besides, his blaster was empty.

That taken care of, the meeting to plan the attack could now begin.

* * *

Sunstreaker was furious. What just happened here? How did he end up being the assassin, instead of an angry mob? Didn't Optimus GET IT? Lyra was not an Autobot! She was a plant! They had proof! She had to be destroyed, or they would all die! He raced through the halls, Prime's heavy blaster hardly slowing him down. His own twin, who had disapproved of the plan to confront Prime (Andromeda's influence was felt here), followed him down the hall. 

"You're not really going to DO this, are you?" Sideswipe demanded.

"You bet your paint job I am! Somebody has to take care of us, and if Prime won't do it, then I will!" He was interrupted by a flash above his head, causing him to fall backwards onto his brother. "Who's shooting?"

Another flash, a red, blue, yellow, green, seafoam, and gray flash, followed by the Aerialbots and a massive sonic boom kept the two flat on the ground. The whole ark shook.

"What the-?" Sunstreaker had no time to finish his own question as he transformed and raced after them. Sideswipe followed. They were outside of the ark in time to see the flyers become sparks in the sky. Other Autobots were rolling out behind them, including Optimus.

"Follow those jets! Ironhide, radio Skyfire and Powerglide. Cliffjumper, get Teletraan-1 to project their course! Who's got the Aerialbot's frequency?"

"I do!" called Blaster, from inside Tracks. Tracks took off quickly to follow. "They say Starscream has Moonracer!"

"MOONRACER! Where's Lyra?" This was not anticipated!

Cliffjumper radioed in. "Starscream's going back to base, Prime. I just intercepted his transmission to the Decepticons and Devastator's waiting."

"We'd better regroup and come up with a plan! Autobots, back to base! Tracks! Keep following, tell the Aerialbots to put up a fight but to use good judgement!" Prime turned around widely, nearly avoiding a vicious T-bone from a sideswiping Sunstreaker. "What did you have to do with this?" he demanded.

The Lamborghini sputtered. "Nothing! I was nowhere near them when this happened!"

Elita-1 was going to KILL him. "Let's get back to the ark."

* * *

Lyra did not dream. One minute it was black and painful, the next she was awake and still miserable in her cell. She wondered what had happened. 

"Glad you're online," commented Mirage from the other side of the energon bars.

"Hi," she said uneasily. The discomfort was palatable. Mirage was sorrowfully looking down at the torn Autobot symbol in his hand.

"Oh, no." Lyra sat up and crawled up to the bars. Their crackling reminded her of the zap she'd just had. "Nova?" He nodded miserably. "Moonracer?" Another pitiful nod. He looked so unhappy, and it was all her fault. She looked down guiltily, neck angrily giving a twinge. The shock had injured a few parts.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I tried to save her. The bars...they..." She tried not to cry. He looked so disappointed in her. "I made a mistake, brother."

"Y' got that right!" Ironhide came in with her rations. "You don't have a friend or bondmate in this place, 'cept fer Mirage."

Mirage was an emotional mess. Lyra needed a strong friend, a companion with a clear head. Where was Skyfire when she needed him-?

Lyra jumped as though she'd been shocked again. Skyfire. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Lyra considered everything he'd said about Starscream, his staring matches with the Seeker (bonded couples had a mind link), the allusion to being his colleague. THEY were bonded. It all made sense! 'I have to get out of here,' she thought frantically as she handed Ironhide her mug. He left. She glanced at her brother. She had to rescue Nova and Moonracer, and there was only one way to do this. Mirage, anticipating her planned escape, remained in front of the bars, although he looked as though he had lost his best friend. Lyra felt for him. She also had qualms asking him for the same favor Starscream requested of her.

Low on energy and high in displeasure, Mirage finally left her alone. She must not be perceived as much of a threat if Seaspray was still with Optimus and there were no replacement guards to monitor her every movement. Never a good idea when you used to be a spy. Well, she might get a lucky break.

Sunstreaker charged into the detention facility, glaring unpleasantly. Just what Lyra didn't need: a large yellow frown with a blaster. He stared at her for an uncomfortable twenty minutes before Lyra lost all patience and disappeared. She was worrying about how to maneuver through this mess as Sunstreaker decided to talk. He seemed to be examining his feet as he spoke. "Hmm...that one has a scratch." He sat down at the guard's chair.

"Is there a point to this, or was there nothing good on earth TV?" Lyra watched him inspect the scratch a little longer, waiting for a snide answer. When nothing happened, she felt more uneasy. He continued to ignore her. Lyra tried to keep from screaming. She reappeared. "Are you going to tell me what you want, or do I have to suffer from boredom until the next shift?"

His perfect head snapped up at that. "What makes you think I _want_ something, Mishap?"

"That's not my name," she snarled over his speech.

"-with one of the many mechs you seem to enjoy playing with. What am I, number four? There was Skyfire-"

"No!"

"Perceptor-"

"NO."

"Powerglide-" His accusatory position did not vary. It was really unsettling.

"What is WRONG with you?"

"-And Starscream! Guess I'm number FIVE. You move quickly. I guess that's a talent. If you're only good for one thing, I guess I can live with that. Just don't get all mushy on me."

He was going to drive her insane if she allowed it. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He walked over to the bars and watched her looking at her own feet. There were plenty of scratches. She tried to keep her face nonchalant. He could probably see through her, the brat. Even Megatron knew when she was acting. Starscream, although being gone, was sending her feelings. A bit of regret. A lot of exultation. Too much foreboding. She concentrated on trying to send him a feeling back: 'Get me out of here.' It at least kept her from lunging at the bars to beat a losing battle against Lamborghini boy.

Sunstreaker was disappointed. She didn't seem to care what he thought. Well, he had more ammunition. "Anyway, there was a meeting. Optimus didn't say much, but Mirage and Skyfire did. They told us all about your _tough Decepticon existence_. Powerglide filled in when he thought he should." Lyra snorted at this. "A lot of Autobots weren't very sympathetic, since most of them have sob stories of their own. Primus, Bluestreak's entire city was bombed around him. Chromia saw her creator executed in front of a crowd of screaming Decepticons. And Mirage...well, he saw his own turn on him."

"All that and you still have the decency to talk to me. I should be flattered." That sarcasm would get her killed one day.

Sunstreaker was on his own train of thought. "No. Nova let Starscream talk her into following him. I'm not surprised. She was always weak-willed. You were brought back to life and coerced to join the Decepticons. Cowardly, but understandable." His voice was getting angrier by the word. "When Starscream came back and was up to his old tricks, the _same_ psycho-manipulation you'd seen him do a _million times_ to the Autobots you knew and loved, you DID NOTHING TO STOP HIM!" Now he had a gun out, pointed to her face.

"I couldn't!"

"You LIE!"

"I didn't know he was after Nova, or I would have destroyed him!" Her eyes burned fiercely.

"You still lie!"

"If I could, I would fix this whole problem! You know I would! Let me out to fix it!"

He put the gun down and smiled. That scared her even more. "I was hoping you'd say that." He reached over and turned her energon bars off.

"What?"

"You let Nova and Moonracer get kidnapped, you can go get 'em. Here, use this." He handed her a gun he had pocketed in subspace.

"I could shoot you with this."

"I've heard of your aim. Besides, I got coated with a better batch of that reflective stuff this morning. The gun will pierce through the Decepticon armor, though. I'm glad you spent all that time helping the lab rats out."

Lyra's CPU could not process this quickly. She got up, ignoring his outstretched hand. "They're...letting me go?"

"No. I'm sending you out to get them. Either come back with the femmes or on them. You have five minutes before the alarms go off. I suggest you disappear." He pressed against her and held her head in his hands, his sapphire optics gleaming into her violet ones. "Every Autobot in this compound hates you. Maybe you can win your brother back, and a friend or two, by doing the right thing." He quickly kissed her on the forehead and shoved her out the door. "Move it! I can hear the alarms already!"


	13. You cannot quit me so quickly

"Everybody's trying to break your spirit, keeping you down. Seems like it's been forever, but there's another voice if you'll just hear it saying it's the last round. Looks like it's now or never. Out of the darkness you stumble into the light fighting for the things you know are right."

Stan Bush

"You talk a good one but you don't want it. Sometimes I wonder do I deserve to live or am I going to burn in hell for all the things I did. No time to dwell on that 'cause my brain reacts. Front if you want kid, lay on your back. I don't fake jacks kid, you know I bring it to you live. Stay in a child's place, kid you out o' line criminal minds thirsty for recognition...there ain't no such things as halfway crooks scared to death, scared to look they shook, there ain't no such things as halfway crooks...he ain't a crook son he just a shook one."

Mobb Deep

"Moonracer, if you can hear me, I'm on my way. It's not that far from where I am." It's not that far. It's not that far. She maintained this repetition as she flew, cloaked. The desert ended with the mountain range, followed by farmland, city, and endless blue. It's not that far. By some strange piece of luck, Buzzsaw was returning from spying at the same time. He raced down the dark halls without processing potential dangers, leaving her to look around the dark gray ship privately. She floated down the dark halls, searching for the detention center. Unhappy retrospection mixed with wry nostalgia in this base. There was the place Starscream confronted her about the way she dealt with Megatron. The hallway to his lab was over there, so the detention center must be farther away. Noise from Megatron's main throne room distracted her.

She peeked in to see a large crowd of Decepticons cheering. Megatron waved them to die down. "The time of Autobot destruction is upon us!"

"Yeah!" they hollered.

"Victory is in our grasp!"

More cheers.

"Megatron! When do we get to the entertainment?" Frenzy's whiny voice cut through the bellowing.

"I was getting to that!" Megatron looked up to the computer screen showing a large picture. A sleeping giant, its black hulk barely gleaming in the dull Cybertron light, took Lyra aback. "Autobot interference notwithstanding, the Constructicons project an early conclusion. We will be able to attack in a few days. Until then, we have some time to kill." There was something vile about the way he said that. The malicious gleam in his optic was frightening. "Go get her."

Lyra barely had time to move away from the stampeding hoard. They rushed past her like a rockslide. Inside the throne room was their leader, with Soundwave.

"You do not speak, my friend, but I know your thoughts. You do not approve of our new recruit."

"Autobot infiltrator: poor prospect." Lyra crept along the wall, sneaking to the computer. She needed them to be distracted, and doubted the meager altercation before her would suffice.

"On the contrary, it is the beginning of the end for that rebel scum. You heard Starscream's report. Dissention in the ranks is the heat that melts the strongest compound; however, I do believe your concern is valid, which is why I have assigned her to the Stunticons. They are away from the base enough to test her loyalty."

The large tape player knew better than to sustain a disagreement. This was why he was favored over Starscream. "Concerns mollified." Soundwave's blank face turned to the door as a horrible noise encroached. It hearkened the days of Cybertron gladiators. When the favored fighter entered the ring, those who saw him first cheered, starting a growing wave of raillery. When the sound finally reached Oasis' creator's box, it was a wall of resonance that chilled her. It had haunted her nightmares until more horrifying sights eclipsed those memories.

A wave of dark Decepticons with glowing red optics carried in a terrified Moonracer. They snarled like a pack of wolves until Megatron held his arms up for silence.

"What should we do with her?" he growled. The suggestions flew fast.

"Electric shock!"

"Peel her plating off!"

"Beat her to a pulp!"

"Firing squad!"

"Melt her down!"

"Gang bang!" That emitted laughs.

"All of these are excellent. There is another option. We have our newly repaired mind probe to test..." The response was overwhelmingly positive. "Hook her up!"

With a demonstration of teamwork and cooperation they didn't exhibit on the battlefield the Decepticons hooked Moonracer to a nasty-looking chair and attached the electrodes anywhere they thought would produce pain. In the midst of the activity, Starscream suddenly lifted his head. His optics would have met Lyra's if she were visible. She felt herself shudder. Megatron jerked his head in her direction, too, cueing Lyra to move quickly to another place. He sensed something. "Starscream, go outside and check the vicinity for any Autobots." As he complied, Megatron nodded over to his navy blue assistant. Soundwave walked to the chair's controls. The rest of the Decepticons wiggled like over-excited puppies in anticipation of their treat. "Throw the switch!"

Nothing happened.

"It's unplugged!" Frenzy called as he shoved the prongs into the outlet. Again, no response.

"Possible cause: undetected damage. Fall from floating air-base culprit." Soundwave inspected the back of the chair. Anxious, Decepticons yelled ideas to rectify the problem. Megatron muted them again by approaching the prisoner and placing the barrel of his cannon to blast her face in. Her fetters had been, although untouched by any hands, dislodged while he stared her down. She didn't move. Moonracer could taste the quiet tension.

"Show yourself, treacherous incompetent FOOL," was his only utterance.

"Put the cannon down," someone replied in an equally forceful voice.

Moonracer's mouth dropped open to see a steadfast blaster to Megatron's head. The rest of Lyra appeared out of nowhere. Their enemies started toward her until the gunner herself called them off.

"So you concocted the antidote," Megatron surmised. Lyra ignored him.

"Give her thirty earth minutes to get out of here, and I'll surrender," she demanded, disregarding Moonracer's objections.

"Why should I do that?" Megatron countered.

"Because I'm the one you want."

"No." He began to laugh contemptuously. He roared. The others followed suit. "NO! We were only torturing her for fun. You thought-" He laughed harder. "I would have killed ANY Autobot at that battle!" Lyra's expression remained unchanged. "Very humorous. For that, she has ten earth minutes."

"Twenty."

"Deal." He continued to chuckle.

"Moonracer, go left to the end of the hallway, turn right, press the elevator button and swim out. Seaspray's been notified; he'll pick you up." Her face and voice had not changed. "The blue jet next to us has a gun, so watch him."

Moonracer struggled off of the chair, terrified. Lyra would be crucified by these monsters. "I-"

"**_GO!" _**she screamed, losing whatever control she had.

"Yes, go!" sneered Megatron, still unfazed by the now-stricken femme and the shaking blaster in his face. "You have nineteen minutes!"

"I'll get help!" Moonracer yelled as she unwillingly sprinted out, transforming to gain more time. She thought she heard Lyra's body fall but it was hard to discern over the sound of her own motor.

* * *

Moonracer jumped into the rough waves of the ocean. Eagerly glancing around for Seaspray, scanners going as far as they could, she missed the turbulent ocean wave sent to engulf her. She spat out the salty water as something grabbed her ankle and dragged her under. Moonracer looked around for an earth creature and saw Nova tugging on her leg. Moonracer successfully kicked her off and emerged, spitting again. A perusal of the water after another wave reveled nothing. 

"Why have you forsaken me?" she demanded the air. Starscream answered that with a shot from his null ray that missed both her and her approaching rescuer. Seaspray reared up before either could try another attack.

"Are you OK?" Seaspray asked. He noticed she was alone. Moonracer pulled her gun out of subspace and began firing at whatever came after them.

"No." She grabbed his side as he took off. "No."


	14. These twisted games we're playing

"Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you, and I'm wondering what it is I should do. It's so hard to keep this smile from my face. Losing control yeah I'm all over the place."

Louise

"Tap on my window knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful. I don't mind spending everyday out on your corner in the pouring rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile. Ask her if she wants to stay awhile and she will be loved."

Maroon 5

Long shadows crept over the Decepticon base as 'night' arrived. Most Decepticons had passed out the evening before from over-energizing, except for one. Lyra lay in the position Thundercracker had thrown her, unable to move through the pain. Her internal readouts had been shrieking danger long enough to merit their deactivation.

'I'm alive,' she thought, in shock. She shouldn't be. The darkness changed dimension as the light in a nearby hallway sent a beam closer to her. It alleviated little of her apprehension. 'Stupid Autobot, you should be dead.'

Footsteps clattered by the door. An evil presence emerged, filling her with more fear. He was here to finish the job. Painfully lifting her head to see who it was, she saw his arm reach for something on the wall. He turned on the light.

Megatron watched her feebly attempt to make out who transpired from the darkness using the only optic still fastened to her head, causing his mouth to involuntarily twist upward. "No..." she whispered. The light hurt, too. She tried to cover it with the hand that wasn't blasted off.

"My dear..." he saw her crushed and torn face crumple at the address. Interesting. "...I came to see if you were still functioning."

"I still function. My apologies." Her voice was barely audible.

The large silver warrior laughed. Even at the brink of a slow and miserable death she had a sense of sarcasm. He liked that. It was more fun to reduce her to nothing when she resisted. "How is it that you never die? They should have called you Phoenix."

"No more names," she groaned, resting her head back on the floor. Lyra's body howled in anguish at every movement. Her face still stung from Megatron's well-placed initiation punch. "Whatever you are going to do, get it over with."

"I came to see how you were doing."

"Liar." If her lip had not been split in half, she would have sneered.

The Decepticon leader stopped smiling. She had never been this bold when she was under him! Megatron never tolerated insolence, especially from a renegade. "You insult me while you are helpless. This is not deferential to your former leader."

"What have I got to lose?" she asked defiantly, hearing the energon bars stop crackling and the silver mech's encroaching steps. She could not lift her head again to see, it hurt too much.

"More than you can ever imagine," he growled. "You may have been broken in every way possible, but there was one violation I prevented occurring-although it is Soundwave's favorite." He gestured to his associate, who had just now arrived with his mind-scan device out and ready for use. "I think that can be postponed, for now." The smirk re-emerged as Megatron paused to allow realization to process.

She tried to scream but it came out sounding like a hiccup.

"No witty retort. Disappointing." He propped her body up on bent and twisted wings to allow her to watch them better. "Did you tell anyone about..." smirk "...your extracurricular activities?"

Megatron was never one to leave something sacred. Or forgotten. "There's nothing to tell." If she had the strength she would slap him in the face, but the only thing she could do was curl her misshapen face into a painful frown. "I was only doing what any other Decepticon does: paying homage to my commander."

"An accolade I'm sure Optimus Prime never receives from ANY of his underlings, except for Elita-1." His hand followed the dented lines that had once been her chestplate. "As for myself...you and I are overdue. I hope you can still disappear."

When she and Mirage were in spy training the females were taken into another room and given a "special talk"-not to scare them, it was just a warning-but if ever in a situation like this, shut their optics off and think of Cybertron. They were warned that the female body was easily probed and tortured due to its lesser armor. The foolish girls had a hearty laugh over that.

Lyra's only thought as the silver bully's heavy bulk enveloped her and he added another pain to her collection was of Starscream.

* * *

Elita-1 hugged Moonracer as hard as she could, refusing to let go of one of her most valued Autobots. Chromia hugged them both. The other females were so overcome with emotion they rushed over and joined the group, embracing and jumping up and down at the same time. Sunstreaker dampened the excitement by demanding to know where Nova was. Moonracer pulled away from the females, subdued by the chilling reminder. 

"What is it?" Andromeda asked, concerned.

"Nova turned. I saw the swearing-in."

Elita-1 covered her mouth. A few gasped. "No!" Moonracer looked at Sunstreaker sorrowfully. Saying nothing, he turned and punched the orange wall next to him. A few protested this action while he ignored the energon leaking from his split knuckles.

Optimus Prime was tired of the drama. "Sunstreaker, go to med bay. Elita, we cannot mourn for Nova while there is an even bigger threat. The Decepticons have a massive space bridge under our construction site and a renegade ninja stalking us. We're down a flying spy, too."

"She's back where she belongs!" called Sunstreaker, still holding his leaking hand.

"Stop! Sunstreaker, GO TO MED BAY." He stood up and opened the hallway door, addressing four Autobots at once as he strode into the room. "Ironhide! Get me Cosmos! Elita-1, what have you decided? Bumblebee, where did Prowl go? I need him to assemble the attack team. Jazz! Who's on patrol and within driving distance of the Autobot City site? Cosmos! Come in!" The life of an Autobot leader was a never-ending stream of giving orders.


	15. Hope we don't take this ship down

"Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time, you hung me on the line. Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you."

Paul McCartney

"Everything's all wrong yeah. Where the hell did I think I was? Stranger than your sympathy: all these thoughts you stole from me. I'm not sure where I belong. Nowhere's home and I'm all wrong . And I wasn't all the things I tried to make believe I was. And I wouldn't be the one to kneel before the dreams I wanted. And all the talk and all the lies were all the empty things disguised as me."

Goo Goo Dolls

Megatron's second in command of the Decepticon army confidently approached their newest recruit with a sense of purpose. She was finally his to control, a colleague to train. He was hoping she could fill another void. As he walked up to her, the others deferentially stepped away to give her a wide berth, even in mid-conversation. He felt a warm surge of power. Soon enough, this treatment would be from a whole planet. Nova's new purple sigil caught his attention. Her eyes were still blue, and it clashed with her green and yellow body. Not pertinent. It made the symbol stand out more.

"I see you have a new affiliation," he commented.

Nova stuck her chest out proudly. "I'm under the motor division."

"That is below everyone," he reminded her.

She shrugged assuredly. "It's a start. My situation will change."

"Of course. That is why you are here." He looked around. The others had drifted. There were a few other tasks to perform before battle. Starscream wanted to get her in the habit of seeking him out, talking only to him, constantly being his informer. It would start now. "I need to speak with you." He walked away, assuming she would lag after him. He walked rather slowly, one arm occasionally sticking out, as though he were expecting to grab something out of midair.

Nova followed Starscream down the main hall into his private chambers. When the door closed he turned to her. "Although you are in motor, and vastly inferior to me, I will have private discussions with you occasionally."

"OK." Nova wasn't sure if this was normal.

Pause. "You must go to Thundercracker for protocol training. Unlike your disorganized Autobots, there is a strict hierarchy here."

"Yes sir."

"Good, that's a start." He stopped himself again. Her blue eyes dazzled respectfully. He couldn't ask her to do it. This was a completely different Autobot and it felt awkward. He would continue to sleep alone, at least until he could repair what was left of the prisoner. There was really nothing else to say to her, and she was beginning to look confused. "Well, that was all. I will contact you again later, Mishap."

"Mishap?"

"Nova. I said Nova." If she had any mental acuity she would ignore the slip.

"Yes sir." The door opened and Megatron waited behind it. His mind probe of Mishap had been less fruitful than Nova's report, but he had gleaned a few unnoticed attributes of Starscream's that needed addressing. He watched her begin to leave. When she noticed him, she stood at attention when she should have kneeled. Megatron ignored it in his eagerness to close in on his target.

"Dismissed." Megatron walked into Starscream's room.

"Mighty Megatron," greeted Starscream sarcastically as he kneeled. He had seen this coming.

"I know what you are doing." Megatron's glare was nothing new.

"What a coincidence! So do I!"

Megatron paced the length of Starscream's room. "You are trying to undermine me with your own little camp, assembled in your image in preparation for a revolt." He stopped and glared at his Air Commander. "Your contributions, the only rationale for my reluctance to terminate you, are dwindling."

Starscream scowled. "_My lord_, you ignore the significant accomplishment I have made, risking considerable harm to me for the glory of _you_. I single-handedly broke the unspoken taboo of willing Autobots turning over to our side. Those who feared doing it now have an antecedent. We will have an influx of knowledgeable turncoat Autobots, thanks to me!"

"We have a crazy femme, a belligerent disabled femme, and maybe Skyfire! I have to commend you for finally realizing no Decepticon will betray me, and that the Autobots are your last hope, and even _attempting_ to manipulate them is a calculated maneuver, but Starscream..." his laugh was contemptuous. "This is NOT your most proficient idea!"

"Proficient enough to merit your concern."

"This is not concern," he returned darkly.

"Contempt, even. The point is, you noticed."

"This was not a bid for attention, either." Megatron searched his face. Starscream's arrogant smile did not reach his optics. They were almost crafty, planning, somewhat pleading, and desperate. Megatron could almost smell his anxiety. "Do you want to get off this planet that badly?"

He did not speak; he didn't have to: the answer was obvious. "You want to flee from me, as well." Megatron's hand was out, stroking Starscream's arm, absent-mindedly. Neither met the other's optics. "You cannot escape me, you are mine; however..." Why not? There was no greater amusement than seeing how far Starscream could go on his petro-rabbit-brained schemes. "...should you accomplish your intentions, I will allow you a planet for you and your faction to rule."

His Air Commander's grin faded. Had he not sealed his optics shut when Mishap left he would have teared up. The joy radiated.

Megatron hid his own condescending amusement better. He allowed a small smirk. "You are permitted to repair your femme. She's in the detention center." He leaned over and kissed his favorite form of entertainment on the forehead. "We attack by the end of the week."

* * *

The Decepticon prison was not a place anyone would relish visiting. The acoustics were perfect for amplifying the screams of the damned to a ghastly decibel. The dank never left, even in the light. Nothing looked pretty. One lone Seeker dropped his tools at the too-appropriate sight of the only prisoner in a cell. 

Her voice box was still difficult to work. "It must be pretty bad." Lyra wondered if she looked this disgusting when those political insurgents found her the first time she almost died.

"What did they do to you?" He had been too late to join in the festivities after chasing the Autobots to shore, where Superion waited. This was his first glimpse of her. It hurt his optics.

"Makes your energon deprivation look civilized, doesn't it?"

He did not answer. He was shaking in rage, trying to console himself with a thought Lyra could not pick up from his life force. She wondered what he was doing since she could barely discern him from the shadows. She told him where the light switch was located, thanks to her last visitor. Primus, that memory made her solenoids heave. She tried to think of something pleasant. She would never give anyone the satisfaction of knowing about that.

After subspacing her wings for better maneuverability Starscream sat down, intersecting her prone body, one leg under her, one knee bent in the air. He picked her up and leaned her shoulders against his bent knee. Her chestplate would have to be cut off; it had been kicked in. He reached for his snips.

"Getting what's yours?" she scratched. He ignored her. "Good, get it out, maybe everyone will stop hating me, I'll have friends again. How do you live like this?" Starscream worked the plate looser. It creaked in protest. "Nobody likes you, irritating personality, no companions-"

Starscream let her and her plate drop to the ground with a 'clunk.' He stood, angrily heading for the door. Lyra wondered if he would come back. When he did, he had a container of liquid in his hand and a contraption in the other.

"What's that?"

He held up the machine. "A refiner. Your nasty Autobot personality has mixed with my life force, and I want it out." He held up the tube. "This is something I concocted myself. I got it from reading earth medical journals. They have a nutrient-carrying substance called 'blood' in their circulatory system." He grunted as he put his toys down on the floor. "Sometimes they lose too much blood, and there is not enough from another human to succor them, thus the medics concoct artificial blood."

"Fake life force?" Would she have a fake persona?

"It will gradually steam out as your internal mechanisms create more of your own," he explained. He looked at her questioning expression. "I tried it out. On Ramjet. He was fine." He chuckled to himself. Lyra stared at it warily. She did not trust it. "First, I have to fix you." He reached for her faceplate. Lyra shut down for this. She did not wish to see, out of her good eye, his steamrolling her face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked later while he gently fastened it back onto her head. Her lip had been split, and he had mended it, but it had a permanent mark. It made her look a little scary. Starscream held up a mirror for her to see. He'd done a pretty good job.

"Tell you what? Turn your eye on; I want to see if I wired it correctly."

"About Skyfire. It works. My scanners say it's perfect."

"Perfect. Of course." He went to work on her arm. "What is there to tell you about Skyfire?"

"How you're companions."

He sighed. "We're not." He reached for his new soldering iron. "We do thought transference, but I am not bonded to him." He noted her surprised expression. "What?"

"When did you become friends?" His projected feelings were deep affection, with the same intensity she felt upon her own reunion with Starscream. Skyfire was important to him, important enough to make Lyra want to know everything that had happened between them. The question of whom he really bonded with had left her.

"I needed somewhere to begin my scientific endeavors. Someone intelligent enough to aid my research, a robot to talk to. As you already mentioned, my personality is not the most gregarious. My mentor paired us up. We were together for long periods of time, making us grow closer. Too close." He glared defensively, head turned away from her as he told the tale. "We did not bond, merely allowed thought transference. The next best thing. He actually cared more about me than I did him." He smiled wistfully, looking up at Lyra. "When we had a disagreement he claimed I had betrayed him and that we were no longer friends. He neglected to reveal his self-destructive tendencies to you, I am sure. Now he is a prisoner of his own bad choices, still blaming me for his demise. Too bad. Such a graceful transformer does not thrive in any type of binding situation. He cared for me enough to ignore his own inclinations, which is never a good way to build a relationship. The results of my disregard caused immense mental suffering, making him difficult to work with. It was almost a welcome relief when he dove into that iceberg in a moment of desperate histrionics."

This explained the Skyfire parts he placed in her. It explained their behavior, and the bitterness of their ongoing strife. Lyra could not believe Starscream was so casual about this. "And you SHOT him the first day he was out of stasis? How can HE be the traitor? He..." Some delicate wiring began to spark.

"Calm down! Emotional fool." He rearranged some of the wires before she shorted out. "We are over. The Decepticons are my companions now; there is no longer a need for him. He chose to be an Autobot, so be it. I will treat him as such."

"Do you miss him?" Lyra cautiously turned on her internal diagnostics. They still screamed at her, so she turned them back off.

"No." Lyra sensed something else. "I was pleased he had you to keep him company. He feels alone there, friendless. That must sound familiar. Neither of you fit into that stupid group."

"You _do_ care about him!"

"It does not matter! He made his choice! He is a traitor! When he left me for the Autobots, as far as I was concerned, he died."

"Well, he didn't." Lyra's scanners re-connected her arm. "I have a finger out of joint." He snapped it back in. She winced. "He talks about you a lot. You could mend this broken relationship."

"That means nothing to me." He set about replacing her shattered knees. "The space between us is filled with acrimony."

"Your feelings betray you," Lyra intoned. She could pick up his excitement.

"I am shutting off your voice again." He reached for her wires. Lyra held up her newly attached hand in protest and turned herself off, preferring to wait until she was completely repaired.

When he finished Starscream held her in his arms as he looked her over. Nothing out of place. Both of them were whole again, sharing the energy the other's body supplied as they shared a recharge, like the old days. He chuckled to himself. So Skyfire missed him. That was a pleasant thought. He would soon reconsider joining the Autobots; they were no different from Decepticons, except that Decepticons acknowledged their hypocrisies. Nova knew that. If Starscream could turn one of their loyal fighters, then he could turn anyone. Skyfire could not suppress his still-living obsession with Starscream much longer. This time, Starscream would be able to manipulate him easier, with the help of the female beside him.

Mishap...Starscream smiled at her as he put his tools away. He had lied to her, but it did not matter, soon he would have an underling again, two or three if he played this right. Enough for a small faction. Megatron was more than willing to allow him control of a planet. When that went well a piece of Cybertron would follow. Granted, they were Autobots, but he'd run out of options. At least he had a strong team. He would be unstoppable with a fighter, a spy, and a scientist in his league. It would be perfect! Finally, power would be his!

She came online again alone. An internal reading reported no more injuries, at least nothing that required a third party. Her new parts, unpainted, blended with the rest of her in the darkness. Something else was missing. Her body felt vague, fuzzy, almost as though she were floating underwater. Lyra hoped that she would get rid of this fake life force soon. Until then, Starscream would need to be heavily pounded for all the trouble he'd caused her. Footsteps cause her to stand up (a fluid motion for once, really he was missing his calling as a surgeon) quickly. It didn't seem as awkward as usual.

Starscream stood at the other side of the energon bars. "I see you are online."

"Yes." His optics glowed in the light. All Decepticons had this feature. It added something to their terrorizing abilities. She noticed someone next to him. Small, less mass. Blue optics softly shimmered.

"So this is Mishap?" Nova sneered.

"Lyra," returned the only Autobot in the room. Her rival's new insignia was hard to make out in the dark, but the energon bars gave enough of a glare to show the purple symbol where red once stood. "I'm really disappointed in you."

"Who cares?" Nova asked. She turned to Starscream. "What do we do with her?"

"Nothing." Starscream growled. "Motormaster gave you guard duty over the prisoner. You will not fail, of course." He patted her arm and started to walk out, until he remembered the unfinished business he had. "Mishap, I meant to ask you: were there any oversights in my repairs?"

"None."

"Excellent. When the battle is over, we will begin the re-integration process."

What! "Starscream, what do you mean?"

He walked out the door. Lyra leaned closer to the bars and yelled at him to reconsider, ignoring Nova's retaliatory glare until she was struck in the chest with a mild shot.

"The next one will be worse." Nova smirked.

Lyra was furious. "How can you DO this? Do you know what Decepticons do?"

"Kill Autobots. Rule the universe. Works for me."

"You'll be shooting at your friends!"

"I had only one friend!" yelled Nova, face eerily glowing against the energon bars. "She's supposed to be in that cell, not YOU. We would be Decepticons together! No more losing! No more starvation! We'd have power and glory and each other, and Starscream brought her along for the fun and YOU MADE HER GO!" She looked down at her blaster, considering another shot at her captive audience. "Who am I kidding? She wanted to leave, even though I was with her and Starscream when they left Autobot headquarters, she abandoned me." Nova angrily paced the length of the cell waving her gun to punctuate her wrath. "She told me to go get help, like I wasn't needed, and then she shoved me in the way of Superion, who tossed me aside like space junk into the water, telling me to take cover! How can you tell me I'm shooting at my friends? Friends don't do that! I've had enough! I'll join a cause that doesn't say one thing and do another! I'd rather work my way up the ranks killing the hypocrites that you ally with than anything else..." her voice box broke. "How could Moonracer _do_ that? We were...best friends. We were so close, and she cast me off like-like I was _you_, instead of her...best..." Nova pulled herself together. "Starscream never cared about me either. He cares for _you_, Primus knows why..." Lyra involuntarily flinched. "He thinks-But at least I knew that." She recovered for a moment. "I had _no _idea I was deemed so useless to the Autobots."

"Nova...That's not true..." There was too much anguish in this femme. Lyra told her it would be all right, that Moonracer's behavior was not meant as an insult, but a safety concern. "It's standard Autobot procedure to get as many innocent people out of the way as possible." She held a hand out, energon slightly zinging her circuits. (Not as much as at the Autobot base, for some reason.) "They-_we_ care about you." Nova struck the hand away.

"Back off. Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse. Doesn't matter. I'm on my own, and I'll be fine. I don't need them! Once I've earned enough trust I'm digging up Nightbird and teleporting off of this slimy mudhole. Megatron will be pleased and I can rule a corner of Cybertron the way it should be ruled. And I'll have a friend who won't have much to say. You won't do so bad yourself, being the Air Commander's protege."

"I don't want to be a Decepticon." Lyra said firmly. Nova grinned.

"Too bad. Starscream had to pull some long strings to get you repaired and re-instated. Megatron wanted to let the others pound you to smithereens, until Starscream intervened. I think I know why he wants you around."

"I'm his last hope of retaliation. He and Mirage hate each other." Lyra was telling _herself_ that more than the yellow and green femme. She refused to believe the possibility that Skyfire was more important than she.

"No, that's not it. Starscream hates everybody." Nova was not even looking at her. The inexperienced guard's back was to Lyra. "You're the latest in a long line of collaborators that has turned on him. He's tired of failure. Skyfire, the Seekers, some human who tried to help him, Red Alert, the Combaticons: all failures. He has minor hopes for me, but YOU, _you_ have the honor of not being given up. Congratulations. You're stuck with Starscream." Lyra had to think quickly, but she couldn't with all of this fuzziness. She tried another subject.

"What about you?"

Nova turned, face to face with Lyra. The energon bars crackled. "I stay here and guard you until the Autobots are annihilated, which shouldn't take long since they have NO idea what the space bridge is really bringing them." Nova grinned broadly. "The Decepticons have awakened Trypticon and are teleporting him here to make atoms out of these measly inhabitants, including your alliance. They will now experience the power of a fully operational battle station." She laughed so hard her entire body rattled with savage delight.

That was the cue Lyra had been looking for. The prisoner reached through the bars and pulled Nova into them. This caused both her and the bars' charge to short. The spy felt the shock too, but thanks to the dullness she was experiencing, it was not as circuit-blinding as the jolt at the ark. She made it out, optics flickering for a second. No, those were the lights when the security alarm goes off. This meant that all external and vital exits were locked. How would she escape? Lyra became invisible to buy more time. She had to think! Nova groaned behind her, weapons at Lyra's feet. They had given Nova the blaster Sunstreaker had provided earlier, as well as her own flame-throwing piece. She beat Nova to both, picking them up and storing one in subspace to use later. As she ran out of the prison area she stole one last glimpse of her adversary. Nova was on all fours, getting up, shaking her head angrily.

"This isn't over, Mishap!"

Lyra refused to take the bait and hurried through the flashing corridors to the bottom exit, one Starscream had used a long time ago. This one was not connected to the main security system, which had sealed any security risks when the alarm sounded. She punched the buttons. It didn't work. She tried her own blaster on it. Nothing. She tried Nova's blaster. Nothing! She tried both. Nothing! The sounds of activity were giving her position away. Weary already, Lyra leaned against one of the boxes in the room.

"I'm having a bad week," she muttered. The box next to her rattled in agreement. "Hamdingers?" What was that? Lyra tore the box open to be tackled by a seething Nightbird.

"Hey hey hey! It's OK! I'm a female, too!" Admitting anything else might be dangerous. "There's only one way out, and I can't get it open!" Nightbird inspected the door, fastened something to it, and took cover, dragging Lyra with her.

After a frightening explosion, success! Lyra excitedly watched water fill the basement and turned to thank the ninja, but she was already fighting the current to escape. Lyra followed suit and transformed into jet mode, darting towards the surface as fast as she could. Nova was probably trying to override the alarm system at his moment. She'd have a mess on her hands, unless the self-preservation system kicked in. 'Have fun being the only Decepticon who can sing,' Lyra thought, hitting the air with a _whoosh_.

* * *

It was Elita-1's turn to cling to Seaspray, wondering how long this less-than-smooth ride would last. The ocean stretched out forever, the blue meeting the lighter blue of the sky. Waves covered her pink paint with corroding salt, nicking the glass in her optics. 

"There!" cried Moonracer. Four meters to their left a large blue jet erupted from the water, causing a giant wave. Seaspray's first reaction was to open fire.

"Don't shoot!" Elita recognized her. "Lyra! It's us!"

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked happily, transforming and landing on Seaspray. Elita-1 suddenly saw time stop as her visions emerged in their true light. The decayed corpse, the treachery, the pain…it all fit just looking at her and recalling her previous behaviors. The mental black vanished with the hallucinations and time began again.

"Rescuing you." Elita tried to hide her reaction to the sight of Lyra in harsh sunlight and failed. The unpainted panels that covered most of her body, the split lip, the aura of shock that Elita recognized above all of the excellent repairs told a frightening story. It was uncomfortably obvious the Decepticons had mutilated her. Moonracer's lack of tact spoke first.

"Great Primus! What happened to you?"

Lyra's face fell. After a moment, she replied in a flat tone, "Nothing worth repeating."

No one spoke. Waves slapped the boat and the wind gusted up with a whoosh. Seaspray's radio came on, calling for all Autobots to render aid immediately. Elita-1 seized the opportunity. "We should go." All nodded. "Before we are spotted." Lyra transformed into a jet and Seaspray took off towards shore.


	16. The bullets in our firefight

"I left my throne a million miles away...Now give me the strength to split the world in two, Yeah, I ate all the rest and now I've gotta eat you. Well I sing, Space Lord Mother…I lost my soul when I fell to earth. My planets called me to the void of my birth. The time has come for me to kill this game; now open wide and say my name."

Monster Magnet

"Now the time has come, Time! There's no place to run, Time! Might get burned up by the sun, Time! Well, I've had my fun, Time! Well, I've been loved and put aside, Time! And I've been crushed by tumblin' tide, Time! And my soul's be psychedelicized, Time!"

The Chamber Brothers

Optimus Prime was pinned down behind Trailbreaker's large forcefield while Tracks screamed in his face over the sound of blasters firing at them. His velvet voice made is hard to hear what he was saying, especially when the jets screeched by. Luckily, Prime was a lip reader.

"WINDCHARGER'S STUCK BEHIND ENEMY LINES!"

"WHO'S WITH HIM?"

"NOBODY!"

"WHERE'S PROWL?"

"SHOT!"

"IRONHIDE?"

"SHOT!"

"SUNSTREAKER?"

"RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" Tracks gestured to the twins, fifty feet farther up the mountain, both frantically repairing the weapons shot out of their hands earlier. Jazz sat with them, firing at the Seekers whenever they came near.

The shooting stopped the same time Prime hollered, "WHO HAS NOT BEEN PUT OUT OF COMMISSION?" Tracks paused. You could hear Sideswipe grunting as he struggled with his weapon. Bumblebee was somewhere out of sight, crying, "Ratchet! Help! It's Cliffjumper!" Trailbreaker lowered his defense shield to venture a scan down the mountain. No sign of the Decepticons. They didn't leave. They must be regrouping. Optimus could not make out anything through the smoke. Inferno was working overtime trying to get the fire under control, but he was shot, too. The fumes rolled in.

Megatron's raspy voice cut through all of the tension. "Optimus Prime! I know you're hiding back there!"

It was out before he could stop it. "I am not hiding!"

He heard the Decepticons cackle. "Pride is difficult to overcome. I am certain some human psychotherapist could render aid."

No response. Optimus was assessing his troops, while he allowed Megatron to babble about their willingness to negotiate, since he had a prisoner. Ratchet must have found Cliffjumper, because Bumblebee had ceased his howling. Optimus caught the sight of Bluestreak climbing one of the giant pine trees, rifle strapped to his back. That tree better hold him. Optimus waved the twins, Jazz, Tracks, and Trailbreaker to get ready to attack.

"I do not enjoy delays, Prime. Make your decision!"

Optimus waited. Bluestreak readied his rifle to shoot the source of the voice.

"PRIME!" Optimus slunk down the hill, through the smoke, where he grabbed Bumblebee and Brawn. Brawn had been shot, but claimed it an exostructure wound. Ratchet was hastily working on Cliffjumper. He nodded to Optimus and the troops, murmuring he'd join them soon.

"Megatron! The space bridge has been activated!" The Decepticons were getting louder. Prime used this as an excuse to call the Dinobots out of hiding. Grimlock demanded Optimus Prime make up his mind, should they retreat or attack?

"Starscream! I gave no such order!"

"I pre-empted that order." Creeping over a fallen tree, Optimus could almost make out the faction below. The smoke thickened.

"You fool! I wanted to get them out in the open first!" Clunk. Optimus suppressed a chuckle. Soundwave's voice cut through the two's bickering, which did not end after Megatron's hit.

"Space bridge: opening."

The lightening and wind blew their cover, which would have meant something if the Decepticons were watching for them. All were staring at the space bridge. Optimus looked up the mountain, where the tendrils of smoke wavered enough in the wind to allow him notice of his sniper. He nodded to Bluestreak. Jazz led the others to creep up a little closer to their leader.

"Miss us, Megatron?" asked one the travelers. That was all the distraction Prime needed.

"Autobots! Attack!"

* * *

Megatron was doing well. The Autobots were all in hiding, those who weren't leaking fliuds at his feet. Skywarp clutched a small Autobot to his chest as though he were the last energon cube in the galaxy. When the time was right, Soundwave sent the message to fall back and wait. 

"Optimus Prime! I know you are hiding back there!"

He allowed moment of his voice echoing off of the mountain before he heard a petulant whine returning. "I am not hiding!"

This cracked them all up. Skywarp laughed so hard he shook the Autobot with him. Megatron decided he had a sense of humor, too. He waited for his underlings to calm down.

"Pride is difficult to overcome. I am certain some human psychotherapist could render aid."

No response. The Decepticons all looked at each other, shrugging. "I don't think he wants to negotiate," muttered Astrotrain.

"They will negotiate or we lose a captive." Megatron raised his voice to address the obdurate leader. "I do not enjoy delay, Prime. Make your decision!" Still nothing. This was not to his liking. "Should he try an attack, kill that...thing. PRIME!"

Starscream ran up to his leader, glad to be doing something in the midst of this boring shouting match. "Megatron! The space bridge has been activated!"

"Starscream! I gave no such order!" This moron would never stop ignoring his commands. He cursed Starscream's little faction, should it ever be assembled, to be ten times as mutinous. The second-in-command crossed his arms and grinned arrogantly.

"I pre-empted that order."

"You fool! I wanted to get them out in the open first!" He had not meant for Optimus to hear that. Wrathfully, he belted Starscream as hard as he could. It helped a little that his victim bounced at least once on the grassy hill. He chuckled at that, while Starscream spewed his rant.

"When were you planning to unleash our weapon, when the Autobots have us surrounded?"

"I call for the space bridge to be opened, not you!"

"You were taking too long!" Soundwave waved frantically for Megatron's attention.

"Space bridge: opening."

A flash of brilliant lightening. The sky opened, shooting a cylinder of light down to the earth. The dust cleared quickly.

"I don't believe it!" Starscream whispered. "It's impossible!"

Before them stood Autobots Megatron had not seen in four million years, Autobots who should be dead. A few youngsters, too. Ultra Magnus grinned at the gaping Decepticons.

"Miss us, Megatron?"

"Autobots! Attack!" From behind them came Optimus Prime and his army.

"Decepticons! To the air!" Megatron was furious at this turn. For once, he would not relinquish his position, at least not until he was sure Trypticon was not coming. They would not go down without a battle.

* * *

Ultra Magnus greeted Optimus Prime the minute he had a chance. They were blasting the recent addition of Devastator while he attempted to go after the Dinobots. Bluestreak was in the giant gestalt's hand, grabbed before he could shoot Megatron. 

"Nice to see you, old friend." Ultra Magnus' voice was soft and warm, like Skyfire's or Prime's. It hearkened to the days they were first fighting together. "We would have come sooner, but Metroplex had a tougher time with Trypticon than we thought. You should give Mirage a big 'thanks' from us, if he hadn't infiltrated the Decepticon base to send us their files, you'd be in trouble."

"Mirage?" Mirage was with them now, wounded. It must have been Lyra.

"We've also been getting news from other planets who received that transmission and feel threatened enough to want to help. I think we finally got the lucky break we were looking for."

Optimus grinned under his faceplate. "Welcome to earth."

* * *

The battle was in full swing when the femmes and Seaspray arrived. It seemed as though the Autobots were gaining ground _around_ the space bridge, but not the part that would motivate Megatron to call it off. The Decepticons had not been sufficiently injured. Lyra glanced about her before turning invisible to see that everyone on Megatron's forces was wounded except for him. The despicable mech was still trying to get the blaster-scarred and pitted space bridge to open. Smoke from burning trees was everywhere while massive confusion reigned. The Autobots were not closing in at a rate Lyra thought progressive enough, leaving her to conclude that the only course of action was to take out their leader, whose back was turned even as she landed in the thick of Decepticon territory. 

She was behind him with a clear shot. Nova's massive fire launcher would be nice, but Sunstreaker's would cut through that Cyber-rat's armor. Trying not to grin, she aimed it at a significant place and pulled the trigger. His left shoulder was hit first, causing him to spin around for the second shot. His chest was black and smoking as Megatron tried to shake off this unforeseen discharge. He looked around to see who hit him.

"Show your face!" He demanded. Silence. He turned back to the space bridge controls in time to see the paneling open, and wires being cut. He reached for the invisible hand he knew would be in there somewhere, and felt it bounce off his own appendage more than once. There it was! "Now you have nowhere to go, Autobot," he snarled, squeezing his prey as hard as he could.

Click. The Decepticon was amazed. There stood 'Mishap', a glow of rage surrounding her ugly body as she debated her next course of action in front of her self-repairing victim. Megatron tried not to laugh at the patches of raw metal that had not been painted yet, or the soldered line showing where he had split her lip in half. His smirk only infuriated her as she yanked her hand away and rapidly changed charge batteries. The barrel of a now-apparent blaster was aimed at his head, slightly to her left.

"An eye for an eye, motherfu-."

She had not time to pull the trigger before out of nowhere a gray, red, and blue figure swooped out of Megatron's right and tackled her to the ground. "Oh no you don't!" Starscream scolded.

"Let go of me!" They grappled for the gun. Starscream was the stronger opponent, injured or not. Lyra, although her mind fuzzy, was NOT damaged, giving her the advantage of speed. She slithered out from under him as he knocked the blaster a few meters away. Starscream lost his balance, but not his coordination, leaping at her like a cat the moment his hand touched the ground. She anticipated this and jumped out of his way. She turned to face him, fighting stance ready. "This is not your battle!"

"It became my battle when you shot him!" He feigned one direction and went for another. She fell for it. He had her on the ground, hands closed around her throat. She kicked him with her legs hitting one of his wounds, causing him to react and allow her to throw him off of her with a strength she didn't know she possessed.

"He deserved it!" Lyra was gasping for air in an attempt to cool her body off. Being this close to him, for the first time in a long time, was doing something strange to her. "I thought you WANTED him dead!"

"Not by your hand..." He wanted to kill Megatron himself, not have a femme do it. That was a matter of pride. The Seeker was also impressed with how well his upgrade had been received by her CPU. She was right, war _was_ a universal language. He had not built her to be stronger than he; though now that she was out of her prison this meant she would never rejoin the Decepticons. Now he would have to kill her, or at least keep her busy until Megatron called a retreat. There might be a way to make another attempt. His stopping to process this cost him. She leapt upon him with _her _hands around his throat.

"What does that mean?" She would end his control over her in one fell swoop!

"It means that you are mine! The only reason you want to kill him is to please ME!"

"That's what you think!" He didn't know SLAG!

"That's what I KNOW!" Her grip had lessoned, cueing Starscream to allow his hand to stroke her face instead of throttle her throat. Her hand went up to meet his, fingers curling around it. Then a random laser blast brought them back to reality and the violent struggle commenced. Something was missing in it.

By now Megatron's shot wounds were self-repaired and he watched the skirmish below him with fascination. Optimus Prime was coming, blaster firing, so Megatron halted him, gesturing away. "Prime! You might be interested in the scene before us."

"The only scene I'm interested in is seeing your circuits rewired," he thundered, hoisting Megatron over his blue head.

By now, without an order, the barely-functioning Decepticons had retreated. All victors wandered over to the last four gladiators. Optimus heard Lyra screaming and glanced over to see her in an embrace with Starscream. She was on top of him, shaking, hurling insults, hands around his neck. Starscream sat up, hands closed around her neck, giving them almost the appearance of peripheral hockey players in a brawl, aggressively holding each other as a token act until the referee breaks the REAL fighters up. It did not help when Starscream locked her into a closer embrace and rolled her down the hill. It looked as though he might have kissed her-

"What on Cybertron?" he demanded, tossing his enemy. Megatron sailed overhead until he hit the space bridge control panel.

Clang! "I told you so!" The leaders and the fighters had formed a perfect triangle.

"I thought they were-"

"As did I. Once again, they contradict themselves to the point of suspicion." Megatron stood up. Another strange act proceeded, this time producing agitation in both leaders.

"Starscream/Lyra! What are you doing?" yelled Megatron/Optimus.

The two looked around to find they had an audience. "It's not what you think!" they yelled in unison, facing their respective leaders.

"Then what is it?" They had two VERY different tones.

"I'm trying to kill her/him! What!" They glared at the other, shocked.

"Hold still! I'll get her/him for you!" Two large guns were aimed with precision.

"No!" They forgot the choking and hugged the other protectively, like a pair of stuffed monkeys with interlocking Velcro arms Spike brought into the ark once. The Autobots stared in disbelief.

"Starscream," Megatron sneered as Optimus exclaimed "Lyra!" "Whose side are you _really _on?" Again, two different inflections.

"I'm a/n Decepticon/Autobot!" Starscream and Lyra affirmed.

"You have a strange way of showing it." This time the voice was exactly the same.

Everything froze. Lyra was aware of all of her fellow combatants staring at them, judging. She saw Megatron and Prime's annoyed expressions. There was only one way out of this. She tried to find a way to pry herself from Starscream and get Nova's blaster out of subspace without notice.

Tink. Lyra had her distraction: a ninja star stuck to Megatron's face. As all watched, Megatron pulled it out of his armor, glaring at his former toy.

"I shall deal with you later," he growled. Nightbird crouched low to the ground, scowling.

Lyra went invisible and, pushing away from her sparring partner as hard as she could, grabbed Nova's gun from subspace and fired at Megatron as fast as she could while Optimus took cover. From out of nowhere someone's null ray hit her target first, holding him long enough to allow her shot to hit home. The silver mech fell, bounced up to destroy whatever was in his path, and FINALLY noticed he was surrounded. Deciding not to take on anyone without help, the fearless leader of the Decepticons flew for it. After a moment Starscream sadly followed, optics resting a moment on Lyra's last position.

Lyra re-appeared and sank down on the grass. What now? She was sure that there would be some angry questions. Nova was not back. She looked over to Optimus Prime, who stood with an Autobot she'd never seen before.

"I take it you got the message," she addressed the unfamiliar one. The large red white and blue mech nodded.

"You put it on every frequency. We'd be stupid _not_ to."

She leaned on her hands, blaster in sight. "Good," she sighed. She had sent those plans out to anyone who would pick them up. "I'm glad I could help." All continued to stare. Then a small motion began.

She didn't notice who did it first. The second mech had been unseen, too, but the third prompted everyone else. One by one, then in simultaneous clumps, the Autobots placed their fists against the opposite shoulder, gun still in hand. The ancient Cybertronian symbol of respect for a soldier who had done a good job. Lyra felt her spark glow in surprised delight. Looking over at Optimus, she saw him nod, and bring his fist up to emulate. Lyra, unarmed, stood to face the crowd and did the same, which meant 'thank you,' but also 'you're welcome,' like when a crowd applauds an artistic performance she responds with a bow. The returned gesture broke the spell; the Autobots dissolved into groups to recover. Ratchet ran around to see who could carry the wounded. The Lamborghini boys were comparing stories. Optimus Prime inspected the space bridge consul.

"A useless pile of junk, now..." he pondered.

"I could fix it up for us, Prime," Wheeljack offered. "We could get the female Autobots to construct a receiver at their base."

"That is feasible, Optimus," supplied Elita-1. "With Skyfire, Perceptor, Grapple, and Lyra working on it, it would be operational in a short amount of time."

"Well?" he turned to two of his scientists. Perceptor was still in the lab. "Lyra? What happened to you?" For the first time he looked at her, sitting on the grass, blaster within reach, face scarred, lack of paint in some areas.

"I could help Skyfire and Perceptor build a space bridge receiver," she replied, ignoring the concern on other Autobot's face. Skyfire, who was loading up the wounded, concurred.

Optimus turned to his fellow warriors. "It appears we will no longer have only a radio signal to link us to Cybertron! Let's go home for repairs. Transform, and roll out!"


	17. Safe from the pain

"So needless to say I'm odds and ends but that's me stumbling away. Slowly learning that life is OK."

A-ha

"I guess there's just a part of me that likes to bring you down, just to keep you around 'cuz the day you realize how amazing you are you're gonna leave me...You're the only one who drags me kicking and screaming through fast dreams. You're the only one who knows exactly what I mean."

Maria Mena

Perceptor leaned over the inert figure below him, steady hands pulling the cerebroshell out of Nightbird's skull. "Fascinating! Skyfire, you must peruse this!"

"Amazing." They still had a lot of work to do. Skyfire reluctantly placed the shell away for safekeeping. They were almost finished when something clunked down next to him. A mug of energon. Nightbird was coming online while the other two eagerly guzzled their snack. Skyfire looked over to the blue femme. Not the same dark indigo color she once was, Lyra painted herself a shade closer to her original paint job. It made her resemble her brother more.

"Thank you, Lee." He smiled at her. Her inclination to carry things to and from an area had been satisfied again.

"You do not _have_ to perform that task," Perceptor reminded her.

"I know," she smiled back at her friends. "I felt like it."

Nightbird sat up from the table and looked around. Autobots; some she had battled before. She racked her processor to devise escape, until she saw the blue one who had helped her out of that box. She looked a lot less like a corpse.

"How are you feeling?" The red one with a cylinder on his shoulder asked sweetly. Nightbird had no idea how to convey an answer. Her head ached slightly, and she was low on power. How would she tell them this?

"Too bad she still doesn't want to talk." Lyra gestured to their extension of Teletraan-1, which asked her in Japanese characters the same question Perceptor had queried. Nightbird cautiously approached to keyboard and carefully typed a two-word response in the same dialect.

"Hmm. 'Hungry.' 'Headache.' She and Omega Supreme will get along nicely." Perceptor chuckled at his own joke. Skyfire greeted a newcomer at the door.

"You guys sent for me?" A black robot with a face mask lingered at the door.

"I did," Lyra replied. Now that Optimus had commissioned her to be head of the Cybertronian space bridge unit, with Skyfire in charge of construction, Lyra had some pull in this faction. It was kind of nice. She was glad she learned so much from the pits, even more relieved she had talked to Jazz and Prowl and Chromia for advice. "Nightbird, this is Code Red. He's a...communicator of sorts. I want him to find a way for you to speak to us."

Nightbird shook her head, frantically typing a response. Perceptor grinned.

"She says 'No.' 'Rather type.'"

"I get that from girls all the time." Code Red shrugged. "Got any more energon around here?" They shook their heads. Perceptor asked for his professional opinion regarding the cerebroshell. "Pretty high-tech for an Insecticon. You want help with that, I can do it." He walked over to Teletraan-1's extension. He removed a plug from his chestplate, one of many. Nightbird watched suspiciously as he inserted the extension into the computer. "Teletraan thinks the cerebroshell can be configured to re-route circuitry, but no permanent damage to anyone's CPU. So your ninja's pretty much non-Decepticon, personality-wise." He nodded towards the gray female, who still regarded him cautiously. "OK. Lyra, I know you're the person to see about this, and you want to talk to each person yourself, but he's still in med bay. Mirage wants to volunteer to be on your team." He made his way to the door, claiming he had to find Arcee before Hot Rod did or he was in trouble.

"Thanks. I'll see you later." Lyra turned to Perceptor, still lost in Bombshell's creation. "Percy, unless you need me for something else I'm going to see Mirage. Do you?" He shook his head. Lyra started to walk out when she felt she was being shadowed. She turned to see Nightbird next to her, looking a little uneasy.

"You need to stay here and recharge." The ninja's optics widened in surprise and fear. She knew no one, and did not trust any male. "Perceptor's a nice guy, he'll help you out. If you need anything, bang on the wall like this-"

"Hey!" The scientist frowned at her. "You'll knock a shelf over!"

"Nightbird, I will be back as soon as I can. I promise." Nightbird looked doubtful. Lyra hurried out before something else happened.

Sunstreaker was waiting by the main hallway, arms folded as he leaned against the wall like a model in a cologne ad. Lyra nodded to him politely, hoping he was posing for someone else. He walked next to her, saying nothing. Lyra decided the best diffuser was a quip.

"When they were pounding me into spare parts I splashed a little energon on Nova. So technically, I followed your order."

He said nothing. 'Well, I tried.' She thought. Optimus Prime passed them, responding to their greeting.

"How goes your volunteer team assembly?" he inquired.

"Skyfire and I have three personal volunteers; Elita-1's offer of the use of the female Autobots, and Perceptor's coming for short amount of time to get us started."

"Very good. Who are the three?"

"Code Red, Huffer, and I'm going to talk to Mirage."

Optimus nodded. "Would you be willing to solicit another Autobot?"

"Certainly."

"Good. Bluestreak is in med bay, with Mirage."

Now Sunstreaker broke his reticence. "Why Bluestreak?"

"This team is mostly scientists. They need a warrior. Bluestreak needs a change of pace."

"I could go." What! The last thing Lyra needed was this sullen troublemaker. She stared at him.

"Negative. I need you here." Sunstreaker nodded without comment. "Will you be at the party later?" They responded in the positive. "I will see you both there, then." He walked away.

Lyra walked ahead, slightly faster. She ignored the yellow mech until she reached med bay, where she motioned for him to proceed her through the door.

"No thanks." He walked away, causing her to chase him down.

"What was THAT all about?" she demanded.

"I wanted to see if I still hated you." He smiled thinly. "I do. But whatever it was that made you so slaggin' annoying is gone."

'Yeah,' she mentally snorted, 'Nova.' Lyra decided not to say anything unpleasant to this nasty brute. Instead she headed back to med bay to see her brother.

* * *

Nightbird was wiggling frantically on the floor as Perceptor and Code Red watched her, giggling. To Lyra this did not look like a laughing matter. She was scratching at the wall, trembling in agony. 

"What are you doing to her?" she cried, running to free the prisoner. She was plugged into an adapter, attached to an extension cord which was plugged in the wall. Lyra reached to end her torture. Nightbird stopped her. Perceptor intervened.

"She finally allowed Code Red to communicate with her," he explained. "She requires electricity to recharge. Sparkplug brought the cord and adapter over, and she's recharging." Lyra impatiently waited for him to get to the point.

"And why does that hurt her to the point of entertainment?"

Both mech's optics widened. They interrupted each other. "No! Wait! That's not it!"

"Bombshell re-formatted some of her circuitry!"

"He also has a mean sense of humor-"

"We told her we could fix it, but she doesn't trust us-"

"I tried to explain it, but nooo."

Lyra turned to the victim in question. "Does it hurt?"

Nightbird turned to the computer and typed in a character or two.

"It tickles."

* * *

Lyra found her new partner in his room, watching earth television. It was drawn television, moving art. He scowled at it. 

"Look out, Rick!" one character squeaked.

"I'll be fine, Min Mei!" the other gallantly replied.

"Hi," she said. Skyfire turned it off, looking at her expectantly. "Are you going to the bonfire tonight?"

He shrugged. "I suppose."

"Good. You can help me pry Percy out of the lab. He needs to relax." Especially after someone cut the door in half this morning, surprising him.

"He has fun working. Leave him be." He glimpsed a flash of gray by the door. "What was that?"

"Nightbird likes to stalk me. She doesn't know anybody else she's comfortable enough to practice her skills on." Lyra shrugged. "I don't mind. I used to do the same thing to other people." Like Skyfire's ex-friend.

"He's been sending me a message for you." There was no need to ask who. Both of them had him on their minds constantly.

"I need to get a comm link." She shook her head. That earned a snicker.

"He says he's coming."

"Tell him I'm not in the mood to sit around waiting for him to show up. I did that already. No wait, don't tell him anything." She put a hand to her optics. "I'll deal with it later."

"Later..." Skyfire turned his cartoon back on. "Where everything unpleasant goes to haunt."


	18. Take my hand, 'cause we're walking out

"And when we meet, which I'm sure we will. All that was there will be there still. I'll let it pass, and hold my tongue. And you will think that I've moved on..."

Dido

"I don't know if I care. I'm the jerk; life's not fair. Fighting all the time this is out of line. She loves me not. Do you realize I won't compromise? She loves me not...life's not fair!"

Papa Roach

"I know you'll come back someday. On a bed of nails awake I'm praying that you don't burn out or fade away. All we are is all so far. You're falling back to me, the star that I can't see. I know you're out there, somewhere out there. You're falling out of reach, defying gravity. I know you're out there somewhere out there."

Our Lady Peace

Blaster had played CCR for Bumblebee, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" for Ironhide, Rammstein for Sideswipe, and was finishing up "Every Breath You Take" for Red Alert when the Dinobots started screaming for the unthinkable.

"NEVER!" The bright red boom box looked over at the howling Dinos. "I'd rather die!" He played "You Spin Me Right 'Round" instead, which caused the Dinobots to dance eagerly, but not with skill. This trend continued with Trailbreaker demanding Nirvana, and Bluestreak wanting Bush, and Jazz requesting NEIL DIAMOND, of all things. Blaster had Jimmy Eat World cranked when the Dinobots again demanded the impossible.

"I SAID NEVER!" This time he received backlash.

"Let 'em hear it!"

"Maybe they'll shut up!"

"Cliffjumper wanted Outkast, so I'm playing that first."

"Blaster!"

"How about Billy Joel? The Shirelles? Isaac Hayes?" There would be a mutiny in five seconds.

"Play it," ordered Prowl from his spot by the energon table.

"You guys don't get it! This is an insult for me! It will forever tarnish my reputation as a music lover!"

"PLAY IT!"

"Fine," he sighed. "Go ahead, Code Red." The hacker had replaced Chip at the computer for a few hours. He laughed more often. This had him shaking with mirth.

Blaster sighed and resigned himself to the orchestral hook stolen from Primus-knows-where. The Dinobots were shrieking in ecstasy. Everyone else was snickering.

"**Baby can't you see, I'm calling, a guy like you, should wear a warning..."**

Code Red patted his shoulder. "It could be worse. It could be Ashlee or Jessica."

"I wish it WERE!" Blaster looked over to the group by the bonfire who were casting amused insults at him. "Why Britney?"

"Play Mya, Blaster!"

"No! Christina!"

"Chris Issak!"

"U2!"

"Tina Turner!" They were laughing themselves sick.

Nightbird looked at Lyra, puzzled. This noise was enjoyable? Strange. She preferred the lull of the ocean hitting the piers around the dock in the morning. It was one of the few pleasant sounds she'd heard while locked in her prison. Lyra caught her expression and shrugged.

"I don't know this stuff at all; I just try to find something likeable in each one." She looked over at the forlorn Blaster. "Hey, Blaster? What's a good song to hear?"

He sighed. "The Beatles. Try "Taxman." Wait, I thought you knew hip-hop."

"I thought I would expand my paradigms." Code Red nodded. The heavy bass wasn't bad. Nightbird still didn't like it. Lyra walked her to the laboratory to find Perceptor. She found him in microscope mode, inspecting the cerebroshell in absent-minded wonder.

Nightbird banged on the wall, making the scientist jump.

"What! Oh, hello." He transformed quickly and smiled at the two females. "Are you here for another charge, already, Nightbird?" She shook her head.

"The music is getting to her."

From far off they could hear "Northern Girl." Dylan and Cash together mourned lost love like two drunken war veterans. Perceptor waved the cerebroshell at them.

"Well, you are welcome here. I admit this is not as exciting." True...there had to be a way to entertain at least one of them. Lyra recalled the training facility they passed on their way here.

"You know, Nightbird is an amazing fighter. I bet she could teach you something."

Perceptor shook his head. "I am not a fighter, I am a scientist." The ninja looked at him, pleading. He sighed, and smiled gently, putting his tools away. "Although I suppose it would never hurt to gain more knowledge."

* * *

He glided down as though there was no impending disaster in his arrival. Skyfire watched him land, Blaster's music starting an old rap song as accompaniment. **"Mama said knock you out!"** hollered LL Cool J. 

"What is that noise?" the visitor screeched.

"Human music. What are you doing here?" He saw Starscream had a few blaster marks on his chest from Megatron's ion cannon but refrained from commenting.

"I desire many things. A conference with Mishap will have to do." Starscream sat on the sand, in front of a rock, arms crossed in front of him. The night was almost over. Tomorrow Megatron would be slamming anyone in his path against a convenient wall. It was always a good idea to avoid him the week after he lost a battle. Skyfire stared, hearing the cause of most of his angst tell him that although there had been so much bad blood between them, there was still a place for him in the Decepticons, if he were willing. Skyfire was not willing, unless...

"I will go if she does." He would retrieve Lyra, but not aid Starscream in any other way.

"Bring her but leave us alone. She will tell you her decision." Starscream was relieved. This would be easier than he thought if Skyfire put that kind of proviso on his offer.

The bass line pounded against the mountain, reverberating throughout the desert. How can they stand it? Discord! It blared into his audios as unwelcome as a bad screw would be for the Constructicons.

"Starscream?" whispered a voice. The Air Commander hurried to stand. She appeared before him, like a vision only his dreams had seen.

"Mishap? Did Beachcomber paint you?" The bright blue stung his optics, even in this little light. It was the only thing he could say to her short of 'I want to throttle you until you turn putrid.' Without a retort she rushed into his arms and he held her to him, refusing to relinquish. In all of the times he had been near her, this was one of the few Starscream was glad she touched him. It felt nice. She was right about his personality in that it made him unreachable. He was tired of being alone, and for the first time since Skyfire he would make an exception. She finally freed herself from his affection by accidentally hitting a sore spot.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

"Discipline." Whenever they lost, Megatron went trigger-happy. This was normal in the Decepticon ranks for all of the seasoned vets, but one warrior had not anticipated such brutality within the army itself. Starscream had been forced to watch his leader deal with a shocked Nova after the ion cannon had been turned away from him. Mishap did not need to hear about that. "That is unimportant. I am here on business. Usually I have an ulterior motive."

"That's true."

Starscream ignored her. "But today I do not. I have come here to bring you home, not as a Decepticon..." Why was this so hard? "...but as my...friend."

He had never used that word before. The music continued behind them as she thought. **"Welcome to the planet. Welcome to existence. Everyone's here, everyone's here. Everybody's watching you now. Everybody waits for you now. What happens next? What happens next?"**

Somewhere in her empty, fuzzy life force Lyra wanted to go with him. The internal debate raged as former details predicted the future. She would not have to prove herself, he already accepted her. To spend the rest of her existence invisible, evading Megatron and his desire to pull her to pieces. Flying above him as invisible protection, the Air Commander's most trusted associate. To emerge only when Starscream had no one else to talk to, when a need wasn't being met. Late nights lying on his recharge plate secure in his arms. A life of hiding from robots who were finally beginning to accept her. She'd continue being the shadow, for better or for worse, with the Decepticon who'd saved her life so many times she'd memorized his repair method. Free from being a painful reminder to Skyfire of the past and to Mirage of disappointment. To be shot in the snow and abandoned the moment she disagreed. No. It couldn't be borne, even if it killed her, no matter how bad she wanted to be with him. The space between them had grown insurmountably.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I am already home." She heard a noise behind her. It must be Skyfire.

"You will throw away power and glory and _me_ for a bunch of nauseating hypocrites who barely hide their contempt for you?" Mishap was not coming, Skyfire would not accompany him without her, and Starscream was again stuck under Megatron and running out of options. So much for another chance. Nova would be more receptive, he supposed, as anger and resentment overtook him. He should have stuck with her and let Mishap _die_ if this was the gratitude she returned. The hideous blue creature did not answer his question, merely shaking her head as her scarred face crumpled.

Lyra's cloudy fuzzy life force didn't dull the sharp jab of misery that seemed to be trying to maim her from the inside. In the expectant air she could barely see him in front of her. Her olfactory senses picked up the smoke from the bonfire upwind of her. The song Blaster played was overwhelming. **"What happens next?"**

Starscream glared at her, red optics on fire as she slowly backed away from him, refusing to meet his gaze. "Then the dream is dead. We are enemies." He aimed his null ray at Lyra in time to see her disappear.

"I did not want to end it like this, Starscream." Her voice was maddeningly untraceable in the dark, but this time she did not reach out for his hand.

"No," he returned sarcastically. His voice shook as the melted lines around his eyes strained under the pressure. "I am merely supposed to let you go like this, allowing you to hide in the shadows without a fight?" He was not satisfied with her lack of response. To his irritation, the Autobot alarm went off over his curses but the song continued. **"Maybe redemption has stories to tell, maybe forgiveness is right where you fell. Where can you run to escape from yourself? Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go? Salvation is here."**

The wind blew around him as he made his pronouncement. "You have made a fatal error, traitor! Nobody refuses Starscream the Almighty! I will make you suffer for this!" He transformed and took off before any Autobots arrived. Trembling, Lyra watched him climb the heavens, alone, until he became a speck of light.

"**I dare you to move, I dare you to move, I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor, I dare you to move, I dare you to move, like today never happened. Today never happened before."** And just as suddenly as it had begun, the music of the night was over. In the dark someone reached for her hand. Only one mech knew how to find her as an invisible being. Mirage. Lyra leaned back on the wind, hitting the sand as she dragged her brother down with her. He sat up next to her, trying not to laugh in delight. Although he didn't want to admit it, there were times when he wondered who she really associated herself with. Relief flooded his whole being after he'd witnessed her turning Starscream away.

"You got him out of your system, I see." This innocuous comment cracked her up. Although he did not know the significance of what he said Mirage snickered. He'd missed this casual mirth he had with her. The easygoing sweetness war had stolen from both of them had taken only five million years to get back. "We're going to Cybertron and you'll never see him again."

"That's fine with me," she lied. Her face wasn't visible, so she could get away with that.

The alarm had caused a fleet of cars to zoom by them. Lyra was tempted to flag them down and explain he was gone, but that would entail getting up. When was the last time she really had time to sit outside and look at the stars with her brother? Mirage radioed Optimus Prime and informed him Starscream was gone. Skyfire asked Mirage where Lyra was.

"Lyra's here, with me." Oasis no longer. Mirage squeezed her hand as she finally allowed herself to relax. She was here with her brother. That sounded good.

THE END


End file.
